An Address to all Believers in Christlatterdaytruth.org/pdf/100023.pdfDavid in thQ Bible, than is...

AN ADDRESS

TO

ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST.

BV

A WITNESS TO THE DIVINE AUTHENTICITY

OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

DAVID WHITMER,

RICHMOND, MISSOURI.

1887

www.LatterDayTruth.org

COPYRIGHTED,

BY DAVID WHJTMElt, 1887.

The author deslrell this work circulated as much as poeelble, and will grant the privilege of reproduction to an:r reliable house that will make appliaation to him.


PART FIRST.

CHAPTER I. Dear Reader:

Part first of this pamphlet is a brief address to those who have not read the Book of Mormon, and who are not converllflont with the denominations that believe in that book.

Part second is an address to all believers in the Book ef Mormon. There are three distinct denominations that believe the Book of Mor

mon to be the Word of God : First: Tlte Olmrclt of Ghrist. Second : Tlte Reorganized Church of Je8us Ghrist of Latter Day

Saints. Third : The Ohurclt of Jesus Ghrist of Latter Day Saints. The last named is the church in Salt Lake City ; they believe in the

doctrine of polygamy, while the two first named churches do not believe in that doctrine. I am an elder in "the Church of Christ." We believe in the doctrine of Christ as it is taught in the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, the same gospel being taught in both these boo~s. The Bible being the sacred record of the Jews who inhabited the eastern continent ; the Book of Mormon being the sacred recor& of the Nephites (descendants of Joseph, the son of Jacob), who inhabited the western continent, or this land of America. The Indians are the remnant of that people, who drifted into unbelief and darkness about 350 years after Christ appeared to them and established his church among them, after finishing his mission at Jerusalem. We believe in faith in Christ, repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. We believe in the laying on of hands as it was fracticed in the days of the Apostles. We believe in the resurrection o the dead and eternal judgment. We also believe in the Words of Christ when he said, " Tltese signs sltall follow them that believe." Our belief concerning the order of offices in the church, etc., will be found in Part Second of this pamphlet. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST holds to the original doctrine and order that was first established upon the teachings of Christ in the written word, in 1829, when the Lord set his hand the second time toestablish the true gospel upon the earth and recover his people, which is in fulfillment of the prophecies in the Bible. Weaenounce the doctrine of polygamy and spiritual wifeism. It is a great evil, shocking to the moral sense, and the more so because practiced in the name of Religion. It is of man and not of God, ami is especially forbidden in the Book of Mor· mon itself in these words . '' Belwld, Da1'id and Solomon tr1tly had ?lany wives and concubines, w!tich tltin.q was abominable b~(ore me, saith t:·e Lord. "' "' "' "' * For there sltalltwt any man among you have


save it be one wife: and cOJtcubines he shall have none: For I tke Lord God, delightetlt in the cltastity of woman." (Book of Mormon, page 116, chap. 2, par. 6). We do not indorse the teachings of any of the so-called Mormons or Latter Day Saints, which are in conflict with the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Ohrist, as taught in the New 'l'estament and the Book of Mormon. They have departed 111 a great measure from the faith of th~ OHURCH OF PHRlf\T as it was first established, by heeding revelations giTen through Joseph Smith, who, after being called of God to translate his sacred word - the Book of Mormon - drifted into many eI;rors and gave many revelations to introduce doctrines, ordinances and offices in the church, which are in conflict with Ohrist's teachings. They also changed the name of the church. Their departure from the faith is also according to prophecy. "Now the spirit speaketh expres,~ly tltat in THE LATTE& TIMES som.e shall depart from tlte faith, giving lwed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." (1 Tim. iv: 1). On account of God giving to Joseph Smith the gift to translate the plates on which was engraven the Nephite scriptures, the people of the church put too much trust in !tim - in the man - and believed his words as if they were from God's own mouth. They have trusted in an arm of flesh. (Jeremiah xvii: 5) "TItus saitlt tlte L01'd: Our,Yed be the man that trusted in man, and maketlt flesh !tis arm, and 10hose lwart departetlt from tllC Lord." They looked to Joseph Smith as lawgiver; we look to Ohrist alone, and believe only in the religion of Jesus Ohrist and not in the religion of any man.

The doctrine of polygamy was not introduced until about fourteen yearil after the church was established; but other doctrines of error were introduced earlier than this. I left the body in June, 1838, being five years before polygamy was introduced.

Joseph Smith drifting into errors after translating the Book of Mormon, is a stumbling-block to many, but only those of very weak faith would stumble on this accollnt. Greater abominations are recorded of David in thQ Bible, than is recorded to-day of Joseph Smith; but do you reject the Psalms on this account? Do you reject the Proverbs because Solomon was a pOlygamist? Stop and think, you who are hasty to condemn. If you desire to know whether or not the Book of Mormon is true, read the book and investigate it, for Christ has promised that he who seeka in the right way shall find the truth of all things. We are commanded to "Prove all thwgs; hold fast tltat w!ticlt is good." (1 Thes. v: 21).

The Reorganized Ohurch of Jesus Ohrist of Latter Day Saints, beheve that Joseph Smith was a true prophet up to his death, and accept his revelations in their Book of Doctrine and Oovenants. The revelation to practice polygamy is not printed in their Doctrine and Oovenants. 'rhey do not believe in the doctrine of polygamy. .

The Ohurch of Jesus Ohrist of Latter Day Saints (the church at Salt Lake City) believe that Joseph Smith was a true prophet up to the time of his deatJ., and accept his revelations which they have published in their Book of Doctrine and Oovenants. In this book is the revelation on polygamy. .

It is also a stumbling-block to those who desire to investigate as to the truth of the Book of Mormon, to see the believers in that book divided; but the divisions have been brought about by the revelations of

4


Joseph Smith. We, the Church of Christ, who accept only the Bible and the Book of Mormon as the rule 'and guide to our faith, agree on the doctrine and gospel of Christ. The Book of Mormon comes forth claiming to be the scriptures of the tribe of Joseph, written by holy :lUen of God, which record has been kept pure. It cl~ms that when the Bible was written by the tribe of Judah (the Jews), it was plain to the understanding of men; and,that many plain and precious things have been taken from it by a great and abominable church; and that on this account the Gentiles stumble over the true dpctrine of Christ. The Book of Mormon comes ,forth claiming to make plain the doctripe of Ohri,t as taught in the ]rew Testament; and it does make it 80 plain that a child can understand it. To all who are without prejudice, the Book of Mormon is the key to the understanding of the Bible. As I

. have stated, all who take It and the Bible alone as the guide to their faith, agree on the doctrine of Christ.

I know that reproach has been brought upon the Book of Mormon. Because some of those who believe it have drifted into wickedness, the' world has rejected the book and turned it aside as a thing of naught; but if such persons will stop and think, they will see that they refuse to read this book, which claims to be a. message from God, simply because some have transgressed who believe in the book! Such persons are not very earnestly seeking for truth. Those who have read the hIstory of the apostolic church know, that before John wrote the Revelation, many of those who believed in Christ went into all manner of wickedness and heresies, practicing those things in the name of Christ, and thereby brought reproach upon the name" Christian." Apostolic church history tells us that the Nicolaitanes (Rev. ii: 15), who departed from the faith by following Nicolas, one of the first seven deacons (Acts vi: 5), were also called "Christians;" also that many factions which sprang out of the Christian church, also called themselves "Christlans." The Nicolaitanes claimed that Nicolas had received a revelation from God to practice the doctrine of: "free love," which is worse than polygamy. (Irenoous, Epiphanius, Hippolytns.) Reproach was thus brought upon the name" Ohristian," just as it has been brou~ht upon the words of Christ-the Book of Mormon. Histbry teUs us It was a disgrace in the eyes of the world to be called a "Christian," even during the days of the apostles. In Act~ xxviii: 22 we find that the true church was evil spoken of. "For as concerning tlds /jed, we know tlwt everJJwhere it is sptJken aqainst." Paul speaks of 'the reproach of Christ lU Heb. xi: 26 and Xlii: 13. Christ speaks of the reproach hiB disciples will have to bear for his name, telling them many times that his disciples would always be persecuted. Peter prophesied (2 Peter ii: 1-2), that damnable heresies would be brought into the churcll; "and 1/umy sltall fullow tlteir pe7'nicious ways, by reason of wlwm THE WAY OF TRL"TH sltall be eva spoken of." So has it been in these last days. On account of the h~resy of polygamy and other heresies, "tlte way of truth" is evil spoken of; and those who believe in all the scriptures of our Lord Jesus Christ, are called by the world" Mormons," and arc looked upon 'with more or less shame by the majority of people; but we are willing to bear the reproach for Him who died for us, for toe kn010 that the Book of 'Mormon is His word, and by His word we can inherit eterJlal life if we are faithful in

~ n ~


keeping Hil!! commandments. God's wisdom is not man's wisdom, and His ways are not man's ways. He works in a way least expected by DUloIl. He does his work in a way that all men may ~tumble and not un· derstand, unless their whole heart a.nd desire is upon God, and not upon the 'things of this world. "Love not tke 100rld, neitlter tke tltings that are in tke world. II' any ;/~an love tke 1oorld, tlte love of tke Fatlter is not in kim." (1 John ii: 15.) "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. vi:24.) He who makes up his mind to serve God with an eye single to his ~lory,. the light tha~ is in him will not be darkness to the truth as it ill m Ohrist; sllch a person will overcome the stumbling-blocks by the Holy Spirit enlightening his mind, auir he will see and lln,.der-

. stand the truth. God works by stumbling-blocks. He ordained "that Ohrist should oome as a stumbling-block to the Jews, so that alJ who did not have an eye single to hi!'! glory might stumble and nQt understand. "And He (Christ) skall be for a sanctuary; but for a <~tone of st1tmbling and for a rock of Offe1f,8e to both tlte kouses of Israel, for a sin and for a Bnare to tke initabitants of Jerusalem. And many among tltem s/tall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." (Isaiah viii: 14-15.) (See also 1 Peter ii:7-8, 1 Cor. i:23, Rom. ix:32-33.) The Jews did not expect the Christ to come in the way he did, because the prophecies about his coming were obscure; so they rejected him.

The Gentiles cannot expect tho words of· Christ-the Book of Mormon - to come in the way it has, because the prophecies about its coming forth are obscure; so they hale rejected it; but the stone which the builders have rejected, tho same will become the head of the corner. '],he Book of Mormon is the word of God. Tho prophecies in the scriptures concerning the way ill which Christ would come t.o the Jews, are obscure, but they are just as God. wanted them. Likewise are the prophecies in the Bible concerning the coming forth of the word of Christ ill these last days, which is" tlte dil$pensrttion of tl,e fullness of times." The propheCIes which foretell the coming forth of the Book of M9rmon are fully as "plain to the Gentiles, as the prophecies were to the Jews c~mcerning Chr1st's coming. The people cannot understa~ld why the Lord would bring forth his 'ford from "a book (plates) tltat is .~ealed" and was buried in the ground by his ancient prophets 011 this land: and why lIe should have the wprds of the book delivered" to one tltat is learned," telling him to read it, etc. ; (see Iso.. xxix) but the learned and wise men of the world could not read it; God gave to an unlearned boy, Joseph Smith, the gift to tramllate it by the means of a STONE. See bhe following pasl:!ages concerning the " Uri1//. and Tlt1t1n1nin," being· the same means and one by which the Ancients received the word of the Lord. (1 Sam. xxviii: 6. Neh. vii: (i5. Ezra ii : 63. Num. xxvii: 21. Deut. xxxiii: 8. Exodus xxviii: 30. Lev. viii: 8.) But this is a great stumbling-block to the people now. They eall 11 ot understand why G()d would work ill this manner to bring forth his word; and why he would choose sllch a man as Joseph Smith to translate it: and they think the canon of scripture is full: and that angels do not minister unto men in these days. But oh kind reader, if you desire to know the truth, be not hasty to condemn and judge, but I pray you to investigate. The scriptnres teach that God works in a way least expected by men.

"/!' 6


"Neither are your ways my WW!l8, .~ait1t tlle Lord." (Isa. LV.: 8). How unsearchable are Hili jltllg1llents, and His ways 1Jast finding out. 'I (Rom. xi: 33). Head Isa. xxix, whole chapter, which is a prophecy COli·

cerning the .way in which the Book of Mormon was to come forth. "Out of the ground;" "Out oj tlte tiust;" From, "tile words of a Book (plates) that is sealed:" The men of the world who are wise and prudent in the eyes of the world, shall be confounded; they will not understand the Lord's way of working. " For tlle wisdom of tlteir wtse men shall pm'islt, and the understanding of tllei1' prudent men slwll be Md." But the meek and lowly in heart wifI understand it. "Tfle meek also sllall increase Ute!1' .ioy £n the Lord, and tlte P001' a'f/wng men sllall r~ioice in tlte Holy One of Israel." Alld those who are spiritually blind and deaf shall" lte(u' tlte ?oords of tlte Book," and "sec out of obscurity, and out of darkness." "Tlle.1f also that erred in spirit sltall come to understanding, and tltey thatmurmu1'ed shall learn doctrine;" (The above quotations are from the 29th chapter of Isaiah.) John, in his visidn on the Isle of Patmos, of "things wlticlt 'IImst be ltereafter," saw" Anothe1· angel fiy in tlte lIlidst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto tltem that dwuU ON THE EARTH." (Rev. xiv: 6.) In Isaiah xi: 11--12, it is prophesied as follows: "and it sltall come to pass in tltat clay ( dispensation) that tlte Lord shall .~et ltis hand again tile .second time to recover tlte remnant of Ms people * * * * and he shall set up an ensign for tlte ?,,(dions. and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gatlter logetlter tile dispersed of Judah (Ute Jews) from tlte Jour corners of tlte eartlt." The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is only a preparatory work for the great and "marvelous work" of God which is yet to come in gathering scattered Israel, which is spoken of so often through the prophets. '1'he Book of Mormoll contains many prophecies which ·are now and have been during my life, under course of fulfillment. It says that more records are yet to come forth from the "book that is sealed," which book is the sacred scriptures or records of the people who inhabited this land of America.

The ch ildren of Israel are to be gathered by the record of Judah (the Bible) ; and the record of Joseph.; of which tecord the Book of Mormon is only a IJart. I will now quote from Ezekiel xxxvii: 16-21, which is plain concerning this matter_ Remember that in ancient timel!, writing was engraved upon stone and upon metallic plates, and they also wrote upon parchment which they rolled around a stick. A roll of parchment was called a "stick."

"Moreover, tltou xon of man, take thee one xtick, and write ?tpon it, For Judalt, and for the cltildren of Israel ltis companions: then take anotlter stick, a?td 10rite upon it, PO?' Joseplt, the si'ick of Epltraim, and.for , all tlte llOuse of Israel Ids companions: and foin tit ern (J1i,e to another in one stick; and tlMY sltall become one in tkine !tand. And wlten lite cltildren of' th?11Jeople sit all speak ttnto thee, saying, Wilt tllOtt not sltO?o 1IS

tolwt tllOu meanest by these? say unlo them, * * * * Thus saitlt • tlte Lord God >' Behold, I will take tlte children of Israel from among tlte

lteathen, whitlter tlMy be gone, and will gather tltmn on every side, and bring them into tlle£r Mon land."

It is evident that this, like many other prophecies, refers to the time when the Israel of God will be gathered together in righteousness

7


and holiness; when they shall be, God's holy people forever. It says in this chapter, 23d to 28th verses, that when they are gathered, they shall " No more defile themselves with their idols * * * * 1wr with any of tlteir transgressions,:' and the Lord "will clea'r'se tltem, so they sltall be my people, and I toill be theit God." * * * and" tltey sltall walle in mY.iudgments * * * * * and (I) toill set my sanctuary in tll,e midst of tltem forevenn01·e. * * * * And the lteathen (all who are not Israel) sltalllenOto that I tlte Lord do sanctifY Israel tal ten my sanctuary shall be ift the midst of tltem forevermore.' (Concerning a literal gathering of the House of Israel, in righteousness and holiness, see chapter 2.) The Gentiles are first now, and the Jews last: but the Jews and all the HOllse of Israel will be first some day, and the Gentiles last. It is through the "fullness of the Gentiles," that the veil of blindness which is now over fsrael, shall be taken away. The cup of iniquity of the Gentiles is almost full; then God will turn to Israel, for Israel is not cast away forever. " Blindness in part £s happened to Ismel, until tlte fttll-: ness of tlte Gentiles be come in. . * * * There sltall come out of Sion, the Deliverer, and sltall turn a10ay ungodliness from Jacob." (See Ro-mans 11th chapter.) \

It is recorded in the American Oyclopllldia and the Encyclopllldia Britannica, that I, David Whitmer, have denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the divinity of the Book of MQrmofto; and that the other two witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, denied their testimony to that Book. I will say once more to all mankind, that I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof. I also testify to the world, that neither Oliver Cowdery or Martin Harris ever at any time denied their testimony. They both died reaffirming the truth of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. I was present at the death b~d of Oliver Cowdery, and his last words were, "Brollter Damd, be true to your testimony to the Boole of Mormon." He dicd here ill RIchmond, Mo., on March 3d, 1850. Many witnesses yet live in Richmond, who will testify to the truth of these facts, as well as to the good character of Oliver Cowdery. The very powers of darkness have combined against the Book of Mormon, to prove that it is not the word of God, and this should go to prove to men of spiritual understanding, that the Book is true. To show the reader what I have had to contend with, I ~ive you below a copy of a leaflet which I had printed and dis· tributed In March, 1881.

"A PROCLAMATION."

"Unto all Nations, Kindred Tongues and People, unto whom these presents shall corne: .

"It having been represented by one John Mnrphy, of Polo, Caldwell Connty, Mo., that J, in a conversation with him last summer, denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the' BOOK OF MORlION.'

"To the end, therefore, that he may miderstand me now, if he did not then; and that the world may know the truth, I wish now, standing as it were, in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God, once for all to make this public statement:

"That I have never at any time denied that testimouy or any part thereof, which has so long since been published wit}> that Book, as one of

8


the three witnesses. Those who know lIlC best, well know that I have always adhered to that testimony. And that no man may be misled or doubt my present views in regard to the same, I do again affirm the truth of all of my statements, as then made and published.

'" He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear;' it was no delusion! What is written is written, and' he that readeth let him understand.

"And that no one may be deceived or misled by this statement, I wish here to state: that I do not indorse polygamy or spiritual wifeism. It is a great ev~l, shocking to the moral sense, and the more so, because practiced in the name of religion. It is of man and not of God, and is especially forbiduen in the Book of Mormon itself.

"I do not indorse the change of the name of the church, for as the wife takes the name of her husband so should the Ohurch of the Lamb of God, take the name of its head, even Ohrist himseU. It is the Ohurch of Ohrist.

"As to the High Priesthood, Jesus Ohrist himself is the last Great High Priest, this too after the order of Melchisedec, as I understand the Holy Scriptures.

" Finally, I do not indorse any of the teachings of the so-called Mormons, of Latter Day Suints, which are in conflict with the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Ohrist, as taught in the Billie and Book of Mormon; for the same gospel is plainly taught in both of these books as I understand the word of'God.

'" And if any man doubt should he not carefully and honestly read and nnderstand the same, before presuming to sit in judgment and condemning the light, which shinetli ill darkness, and showeth the way of eternallif£i as J.><!nted out by the unerring hand of God. ' ,

" In the spIrit of Ohrist who hath said: 'Follow thou me, for I am the life, the light and the way,' I submit this statement to the world. God in whom I trnst bein~ ml judge as to the sincerity of my motives and the faith and hope that IS in me bf eternal life. ,

" My sincere desire is tha.t the world may be benefited by this plain and simple statement of the truth.

"And, all the honor be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen. DAVID WHITMER."

"RICHMOND, Mo., March 19, 1881."

"We, tlle undersigned citizens of Richmond, Ray Oounty, Mo., where David Whitmer, has resided since the year A. D. 1838, certify that we have been long and intimately acquainted with him and know him to be a)'I!an of the highest integrity, and of undoubted truth and veracity.

"Given at Richmond, Mo., this March 19, A. D. 1881. , Gen. Alexander W. Doniphan. L. O. Oantwell, Postmaster,

Hon. Geo. W. Dunn, Judge of Richmond. the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Geo. 1. Wasson; Mayor. , Thos. D. '\Voodson, President Jas. A. Davis, OountyOollector.

of Ray 00. Savings Bank. O. J. Hughes, Probate Judge J. T. Ohild, editor of OOI/,- and Presiding Justice of Ray

.~ervator. Oounty Oourt . • H. 0 .. Garner, Oashier of Ray Geo. W. Trigg,_ Oounty Olerk.

Co. Savmgs Bank. W. W. Mosby, M. D. 9


W. A. Holman, County 'i'reasurer.

J-: S. Hughes, Banker, Richmond.

James Hughes, ~anker, Richmond.

D. P. Whitmer, Attorney-atLaw.

Hon. Jas. W. Black. Attorneyat-Law.

Thol:i. McUilllli~, ex-Sheriff Ray County.

J. P. Quesenberry, Merchant. W. R. Holman, Furniture Mer

chant. Lcwis Slaughter, Recorder of

Deeds. . Geo. W. Buchanan, M. D. A.' K. ReJ burn."

J<'rom the Richmond, (Mo.) Cmuoen>ator, March 24, 1881 •

• AN EXPj,ANATION.

"Elsewhere we publish a letter from David Whitmer, an old and wellknown citizen of Ray, as well as all illdorsement of his standing as a man, signed by a number of the leading citiwlls of this community, in reply to some unwarranted aspersions made upon him. .

"There is no doubt that Mr. Whitmer, who was one of the three witnesses of the authenticity of the gold plates, from which he asserts that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon (a fac simile of the characters he now has ill his possession with the original records), is firmly convinced of its divine origin, and while he makes no effort to obtrude his views or beliefs, he simply wants the world to know that so far as he is concerned there is no 'variableness or shadow of turning.' Having resided here for near u half of a centtlry, it iii with no little pride that he points to his past record with the consciousness that he lw.s done nothing derogatory to' his character as a citizen and a believer in the son of Mary, to warrant such an attack on him, come from what source it may, and 'lOW with the lilies of seventy-five winters crowning him like an aureole, amI his pilgrimage on earth well nigh ended, he reiterates his former hatements, and will leave futurity to solve the problem that he was buta passing witness to its fulfillment. His attacks on the vileness that has sprun~ up with the Utah Church, must have a salutary effect upon those bigamIsts who have made adultery the corner-stone in the edifice of their belief. "

Besides other false statements that arc in the two encyclopredias above mentioned is the old story of the Spaulding manuscript. Thut is, that one Solomon Spaulding. who died in Amity, Penn., in 181H, had written a romance, the scene of which was among the ancient Indians who lived in this country. That Spaulding died before he published his romance, and that Sydney Rigdpn got hold of the manuscript in a printing office and copied it; that subsequently the manuscript was returned to Solomon Spaulding; that thirteen years after the de~th of Spaulding, in 1829, Higdon became associated with Joseph Smith, who read the Spaulding manuscript from behind It blanket to Oliver Cowdery, his amanuensis, who wrote it down. Hence the origin of the Book of Mormon. This is what is claimed bv the enemies of the book: Satan had to concoct some plan to accoUllt for the origin of that book. I will say that all wl!o desire to investigate the Spaulding manuscript story will not be obliged to go very far before they will see the entire

10


f81s;ty of that claim. I testify to the world that I am an eye-witness to the translation of the greater part 'of the Book of Mormon. Part of it was translated in my father's house in Fayette, Seneca County, N. Y. Farther on I give a description of th'e manner in which the book was .. translated. "

When the Spaulding story was made known to believers in the book, they called for the Spaulding manuscript, but it could not be found j but recently, thanks to the Lord, th,e original manuscrift has been fonnd and identified. It has been placed in the library 0 Oberlin college, Oberlin, Ohio, for public inspection, All who have doubts abont it being ,the original ~~aulding manuscript, co.» satisfy th~~selves by visiting OberlIn and exammmg the proofs, The manUScflpt IS ln the hands of those who are not believers in the Book of Mormon, They have kindly allowed the believers in the book to publish a copy of the manuscript, with the proofs that it is the manuscript of Solomon Spaulding. 'rhere is no similarity whatever between it and the Book of Mormon. Any one who im'estigates this question will see that the Spaulding manuscript story is a fabrication concocted by the enemies of the Book of Mormon, in order to account' for the origin of that book. Neither Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris or myself ever met Sydney Rigdon until aftmtthe Book of Mormon was in print.. I kno~ this of my own personal knowledge, being with Joseph Smith, in Seneca County, N. Y., in the winter of 1830, when Sydney Higdon and Edward Partridge came from Kirtland, Ohio, to see Joseph Smith, and where Rigdon and l\i.rtridge saw Joseph Smith for the first time in their lives.

The Spaulding manuscript story is a myth; there being no direct testimony on record in regard to Rigdon's connection with the manuscript of Solomon Spaulding. .

I have in my possession the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, in the handwriting of Oliver Cowdery and others, also the original paper containing some of the characters transcribed from one of the golden plates, which paper Martin Harris took to Professor Anthon, of New York, for him to read H the 1IJ01'ds oj a book that £8 sealed:" but the learned professor, although a great linguist could not read the language of the Nephites. There is some evidence in the American Cyclopredia favorable to the Book of Mormon that I will speak of. It is as follows:

"Martin ~Iarris called upon Prof. Anthon, of New York, with a " transcript on paper which Smith had given him of the characters on one H of the golden plates. 'This paper,' Prof. Anthon said, in a letter dated "New York, Feb. 17, 1834, 'was in fact a singular scroll. It consisted "I?f all kinds of crooked characters, disposed in columns, and had evi"dently been prepared by some person who had before him at the time "It book con taming various alphabets. Greek and Hebrew letters, crosses "and flourishes, Roman letters, inverted or placed sideways, were arranged "and placed in perpendicular columns," etc. 'rhe" learned" could not

. read it, and the book was delivered to him that is not learned. I will-quote two verses. from 'the twenty-ninth chapter of Isaiah, which is the prophecy regarding this matter.

" A nd the vis£on oj all £s become unto you as tke words oj a book tkat is sealed, which men deliver to one that £s learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saitk, I cannot, jor £t £8 sealed: and tlle book is delivered

11


to him tJjat 1'S not learned, saYl'ng, Read tJlis, 1 pray tl/ee: and Its aiJII!l, I am not learned." ,

(Verses Uand 12.) No man could read it, but God gave to an_ .. learned boy the gift to translate it. . .

I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was transla,ted. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchme~t would appear, and ~n that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Oowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to :Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.

The characters I speak of are the engravings on the golden plates from which the book was translated. They were engraved thereon by the hand of a holy prophet of God whose name was Mormon, who lived upon th.is land four hundred years after Ohrist. Marmon's son, Moroni, after witnessing the destruction of his brethren, the Nephites, who were a white race - they being destroyed by the Lamanites (Indians) - deposited the golden plates in the ground, according to a command of God. An angel of the Lord directed Brother Joseph to them. ,The language ofthe Nephites is called the reformed EgyptIan language. .

I will give you the preface to the Book of Mormon, written by Moroni, and translated· in the same manner as the Book was translated.

PREFAOE.

AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY THE HAND OF MORMON UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI.

"Wherefore, it is an abridgement of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites; written to the Lamanites, who are a rem· nant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile; written by way of commandment, and also by the Spirit of prophesy and of revelation. Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed; to come forth by the gift and power of God unto the in· terpretatIOn thereof; sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by the way of Gentile; the inter-pretation thereof by the gift of God. '

"An abridgement taken from the Book of Ether: also, which is a record of the people of Jared; who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven: which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not ~ast off forever; and also to the 1J0nvincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Ohrist, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.

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And now if there il.re faults, they are the mistakes of ineh; wberefoi'@, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment seat of Ohrist." " MORONI."

ALSO THE TESTIMONY OF THE THREE WITNESSES.

"Be it known unto all nations, kind reds, tongues, and people, unto whom' this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Ohrist, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lama· nites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for His voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety, that the work is true,. And we also testify that we have seen the 'engravings which are tlpon the plaSes; and they have been shown unto us by the"power of God, cmd not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came dbwn from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesua Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of It; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know.that if we are f,ILithful in Ohrist, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and bi found spotless before the judgment seat of Ohrist, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen. OUVER OOWDERY,

DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN' HARRIS."

AND ALSO TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES. "Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto

whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jr., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith hath translated, we did handle with Our hands. and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and curious workmanshiJ.>. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smlth has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and known of a surety, that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it.

OHRISTIAN WHITMER, HIRAM PAGE, JACOB WHITMER, JOSEPH SMITH, SR., PETER WHITMER, JR., HYRUM SMITH, JOHN WHITMER, SAMUEL H. SMITH."

Dear Reader:-I want to ask you this question, if you are an unbeliever in the Book of Mormon, and I hope you willl5tudy over it prayerM

13


fully. The testimony of seven men, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, . Peter and Jude. comes down to us eighteen hundred years old; you accept their testimony as true. To-day we have the testimony of eleven witnesses who have lived in our generation, one of which (myself) is still living-these cleven men having lived honorable and upright hves - but you reject their testimony and accept the testimony of the seven men who have been dead eighteen hundred years. ,

If you will not grant a possibility of the Book of Mormon being true, and sit in judgment and hastily condemn it after reading what I have written, you can surely see for yourself that your heart is full of prejudice. Hemember that prcjudice is not of God. It is the spirit that hastily condemned and stoned the prophets of God in all ages past. So beware, anrllook well to your own heart, that Satan does not blind your understanding to the truth. If you are open to investigation and conviction, I pray you to read the Book of Mormon with a prayerful heart. All persons who ate spiritual, having !t fair underiltanding of tlle scriphues, how they can read that Book and reject it, is very strange indeed. The Book carries conviction with it. Thc wise men of this world could never write a book like it. Anyone without prejudice, who is honestly seeking for truth, can see the finger of Gou in that book. It makes plain the doctrines which are so olJscure in the 'New Testament, and over which the religious world is dj.vided. For instance, the mode of baptism; the" signs" or spirituul gifts which Christ said in plain words snould fol' low them that believe ill Him. All who are not blinded to the understanding of the Now 'l'estamen t scriptures, will 'admit that the" spiritual gifts should be with the believers in Christ to-day; that the reason why the spiritual gifts are not following the believers to-day, is becausc they have not that st.rong and living faith that the ancient church had -'down io about 200 years after the ,leath of the Apostles: the Book of Mormon explains this matter in full.. Likewise many other questions of vital importance in the doctrine of Christ, which the Christian world has been contending and disputing about for ages, this Book comes forth from God to explain them.

As we know, Christ and the apostle have taught that man must worship God in /lis appointed way; that is, that they must be right a8 to the true points of Christ's doctrine: But because a man is right on the doctrine of Christ, having been rightly adopted into the Church of Christ, this alone will t:lot entitle him to the highest glory hereafter. We are taught that we must endure faithful unto the end, and bring forth fruit. Coming into the fold of Christ is simply the birth into the church; we are then babes, and from a babe we must grow in charity, grace, and knowledge, on toward the full stature of the perfect man in Christ; a.nd to grow, we must walk in the Spirit, having the fruits of the~pirit, which is "love, .fay, peace, long-su.tfering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Then we are Christ's, and "have crucified the flesh 1vitk tlte ajrection.~ and lllst.~." (9-~1. v: 22;-24). This is the sub~ect that is nearest my heart. The Spmt of Uhnst 1Il man. I could WrIte volumes on this subject, but why should I, when God's Holy Word is so full upon this matter. Those who cannot understand from the Word of God regarding the boundless love and Spirit of Christ~ which Spirit must be , in man or he is not Christ's, they could not comprehend it from my writing, however eloquent I might be. It is a gift which God alone I

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gives to n:a.n, when m~n complies with certain conditions of heart as laid odown'in God's Word. The object of this pamphlet is to guide some bonest hearts into the true doctrine of ChrIst, hoping that when they have found the straight and narrow way, that they may continue to 'Walk therein, and bring forth much fruit to the glory of God.

I desire to say & few words concerning the Holy Ghost, 'Which is the Spirit of Christ- the greatest gift of God to man. Many people claim to have this gift. I am not judging anyone, bllt I will tell yon how we can tell when we have the Spil'i t of Christ; and wIlen we have not this feeling and spirit, we have not His Spirit. When we have the Spirit of Christ, our hearts are filled with the love of God that reaches out and takes in all men, even ollr cnemies. We then have every particle of prejudice, malice, envy and hatred cust out of our heurts j we then have no hatred whatever toward any perSOIl, even an enemy. Remember the words of Christ: "FYI' {l ye 101~ flll'1l1 1~'lu'dt 100'e yrm, fvlwt reward llave ye l' Do '9wt even tlM Publi{'(fll,~ 'lte MI'IIIe? But I say untfJ yOtl, Love your enerm:es; "'leS8 tlte'llt tlwt CUf'se you; do good 10 them 'liat hate YMt. *. * That !Ie fIlay be the cllik!1'en vI Jlour Fa/lier wltic1t is in hem/en." Nothing short -of this is the Spirit of Christ. By this you can know whether you have <the Holy 0 host or not. '1'h is is tho test.

The religion of J CSllS Ch rist is embodied ill One word, and that word is .LoVE; it is tho firt!t and gt'cat commandment, for on it hangs the law and the prophets. Uharity is the-greut lack of religious professors. As we love and judge others, sO we will be judged at the last day. The princi]>al idea in religion is the fatherhood of God, and brotherhood of man. Christ taught us to pray, 911t' Father who art iu heaven. Our motive in .'Serving Ood must be love lind not fear. Those who have never had the gift of the Holy Ghost. cannot understand how a person could actually !love and do good to any enemy; but those who have this gift can under;stand it and experience it. The natural man cannot understand some things of the Spirit of God, because they arc spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. ii: 14.) He who cannot forgive un enemy and actually love him and do .good to h~m, has not yet b(>en born again, and has not the Spirit of Christ.

" .Now (f am/man hare 110/ lIte '~l)i1'it of Christ, Itt' is none ef ltis." (Rom. viii: 9.) When a man has this spil'it - which is the Holy Ghosthe loves aU men so much tlwt his greatest desire in this world is to do the greatest amount of good to his fellow-mun that is possible. What is the greatest good I can do to my fellow-men? It is to turn their footsteps heavenwal'd ; to preach the gospel and the love of Christ to them. The spirit ot Christ is llllseifish. It will ad ill all men to-day as it did in Paul. lIe said: "Not 8eeJ.:ing 1m'ue OW1l 1)1'(1il, but I he profit (!( many, lltat they "fInay be saOOtl." (L ()Ol'. x:33.) My soul enlarg<'s whell I contemplate this subject. :My heart goes ont ill fervent zeal and lo"e for the children of men, in my great desires for their salvntiQIl; but God is just, and in His wisdom we al'e here in this wQI'ld to suffer trials for a SeIt.SOIl, which will work out fO'r us 11 far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, if we .are faithful while here in this world. God has plltCed man on the earth to ~ a free a.gent nnto himself, ulld he receives good or evil, truth or error, just acoording to the way his heart is inclined.

In chapool' ii, I give a few ~notati()nil frolll the Book of Mormon. I woulQ -es,peciaUy call the reader s attention to chapter iv, in Part Second

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of this pamphlet, in which I e-xplain how the church drIfted In errors by giving heed to revelations that were given by Joseph Smith after he had. translated the Book of Mormon.

I have briefiy noticed some of the evidences of that Book, hoping that this!amphlet may fall into the hands of some,honest hearts who love the Lor in deed and in truth; who are willing to take upon themselves re~ proach for the name of Ohrist, and that by reading this work they may' be led to investigate the evidences of the tru th of that Book - which aremany-and become convinced that it is the Word of God. Part Second of this pamphlet is an address to the Latter Day Saints to point out theerrors they are in. By reading the address to them you can understand the position of the OHURCH OF CHRIST, and how the Latter Day Saints: have in a ~reat measure departed from the faith of the church as it was first estabhshed. I will close this chapter by some quotations from the Book of Mormon, and a few remarks.

"And when ye IIhall receive these things (the Book of Mormon), I "would exhort you that ye ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of "Ohrist, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere' "heart, with real intent, having faillt in Christ, he will manifest the trutlt "of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and by the power of "the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni x:l.)'

" For it (the Book of Mormon) shall be brottgltt out of darkness untO' light, according to tlle Word of God; yea, it sltall be brottgltt Oftt of tlUl earth, and it shall sMne/ortlt out of darkne8s, and co?ne unto tlte kn01oledge of tlte people: a1td tt shall be done by tlte power of God. • • • • It sltall come in a day wlten tlte pou'er of God shall be denied (2 'rim. iii: 5), and clml,'cltes become defiled, and sltall be lifted up in t!!e ,pride of tlteirhea;rts; vea, ~ven ih a day 10lten leaders ~f clt1!rcltes, aml teaclters, ,:n t~e prtde Of tltetr heads, even to tlte 81WYUtg Of tlle1ll mlto belong to tltelr clmrcltes; yea, it sltall come in a day tolten there sl/all be hearll offirelly

and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands; anil tl/ere sltnll abu! be lteard of wars and rumors of 10m's, and eat'tltquaketl in divers places •. u

(Book of Mormon, chap. iv, par. 2, 3,) . ~ear reader, can you n?t discern the SIgns of the times: God is ~ ....

gmmng to warn the mhabltants of the earth, and these signs ihaJl m'" crease. The fullness of the iniquity of the Gentiles is ·nigh at handin the Lord's manner of speaking. Ohrist says in the Book of Mormon,~ that destructions will come upon this nation if they do not }'epent. Il cry unto you with:;tIl my soul, repent! repent! and seek uuto God that, you may know the truth of these things, whether that book is from God, or not. It is truly the straight and narrow way. Straigllt meaDS close, narrow, and difficult to find. Ohrist said, " Stmigltt is the pate, 81lt11wrr01tr is tlte way, wMch leadeth 1mto life, and few tllere be tltal find it. J:' If thetruth as It is in Ohrist is hid away down in the Qepth!t 6f, the so-called' Mormon Problem, it is truly the straight and difficult way to find.. And l' will say to all w1,lo desire to have part in the first resurrection, ftlWing the' whole truth as it is in Ohrist, that in the depth of ihese lleeming my~· teries and stumbling-blocks, there you will find the Pearl of Gre&$. Price;· May God help you dear reader, to break the banda: of Satan -give up" this vain world -and fulfill the mission foJ' wh.icb the God of beavenl

oreated you into the world. 16 www.LatterDayTruth.org

CHAP1ER II.

In this chapter 1 give a few quotationlil from the Book of Mormon. The words of Jesus Christ: "And I give you these commandments

'" because of the disputations which have been amon~ you. And blessed '" are ye if YC\U have nQ'disputations among you." ":For thus it behooveth '" the Father that it (the Book of Mormon) should come forth from the '" Gentiies, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this '" cause, that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they ~'may repent and come unto me, and be baptized in. my name, AND '" KNOW OF THE TRUE POINTS OF MY DOOTRINE." (Nephi "viii:9 and ix:l1.) "Woe be llntohim that crieth, All is well; yea, woe he '" unto him that hearkell&Lh unto the precepts of men, and denieth the '''power of God and the girt of the .,Holy Ghost."

\

(In 2 Tim. iii: 1-5, Paul prophesied that in tlle laBt daYB, men shall have _ fO'l'm 'fJf godline88, but deny the power tTieretd'. The POWe'/' Is the Holy Ghost, and its mani· festatlons. Paul says in 1 Cor. xii:7, that" the manifeitatlonof the8pirit is given to 'every man," that is, every man who has the Holy Spirit. To one Is given one gift :and to one anotiroa' gift .. )

* * * "Woe unto all those who tremble, and are angry b.ec811se ·of '" the truth of Ood. For behold, he that is built upon the rock, receiveth '" it with gladness: and he that is built upon a sandy foundation, trembleth .. , lest he fall. * >I< * Hut behold, there shall be many at that day, when .. , I shall proceed to uo a 'marvelons work' among them, that I may re.. , member myc().venants which I have made unto the children of men, that .. , I may' set my hand again the second time to recover my people,' (Isa . .. , xi:l1) which are of the house of Israel; and also, that I may remember ... the promises which I have mltde unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy 'H father, that I woulcl remember your seed; * * * many of the Gentiles .. , shall say, A Bihle, a BIole, we. have got a Bible, and there cannot be ~'any more Bible. BUL thus saith the Lord God: 0 fools, they shall have a ~'Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine anCIent covenant ~'people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they "'receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they .. , remember the travels, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and ... , their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles? H 0 ye Gentiles, ha\"e ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient c(\)venant ~'people? Nay; but ye havo CUl'S6U them, and have hated them, and have .. , not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things "upon your own heads; for I, the Lord, hath not forgotten my people. "Thou 1001, that shall say I a Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no "more Bible. Have ye obtained lL Bible, save it were by the Jews? H Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that ~'I, the I...ord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those ." who are upon the isles of the sea (Aots, xvii:26), and that I rule in "the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word "unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? ." Wherefore murmur ye, heeause that ye shall receive more of my word? .. , Know ?llJ not tltalllte /(!sti1llouy ~(two nations is a 10itness unto you tltat

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II I am God, tluzt I remember one nation lilee unto «not he?' ~ WherefQre, I "speak the SBme wQrds unto. Qne nlltiQn like unto. anQther And when "the two. natiQns shall run tQgether, the testimQny Qf the two. natiQns shall "run tog"ther also.. And I do. this that I may prQve unto. many, that I "am the same yesterda,Y, tQ-day, and fQrever; and that I speak fQrth my " wQrds accQrding to. mme Qwn pleasure. And because that I have spoken .. Qne wQrd, ye need nQt suppose that I cannQt speak another; fQr my wQrk "is nQt yet finished; neither shall it be, until the end of lUan; neither "frQm that time hencefQrth and fQrever. Wherefore, because that ya II have a Bible, ye need nQt supPQse that it contains aU my wQrds; neither "need ye suppose that I have nQt caused mQre to. be written: ~ * * FQr "behQld, I speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it; aud I shall also "speak unto. the Nephites, and they shall write it; and I shall also" speak unto. the Qther tribes Qf the hQuse Qf Israel, which I have led "away (the ten IQst tribes, supPQsed to. be beyQnd the NQrth Sea"frQm the BQQk Qf Esdras), and they ,shall write it; and I shall also "speak unto. all natiQns Qf the earth, and they shall write it. And it "shall co.me to. pass that the Jews shall have the wQrds <!f the "Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the wQrds o.f the Jews~ "and the N ephites and the Jews shall have the wQrds of the IQst "tribes Qf Israel: and the lQst tribes Qf Israel shall have the wQrdso.f the "Nephites and the Jews. And it shall come to. pass that my peQple "WhICh are Qf the hQuae Qf Israel, shaH be gathered hQme unto the lands " Qf their PQisessiQnl'!; and my wQrd shall also M gathered in Qne. And I "willshQW unto-them that fight against my wQrd and against my peQple" "who. are Qf the hQuse Qf Israel, that I am God, and that I cQvenanted "with Abraham, that I Wo.uld remember his seed fo.rever. * * * FQr "behQld, except ye shall keep the co'mmandments of GQd ya shall alllike~ "wise perish. * * * . As many Qf the Gen tiles as will repent, are the "CQvenant peQple Qf the LQrd; and as many Qf thc Jews as will not repent, "shall be cast Qff. * * * WQe unto. them that turn aside the just fQr &. "thing Qf nQught, and revile against that which is go.Qd, and say that it "is Qf no. wo.rth (th" BQQk Qf MQrmon); fQr the (lav shall CQme that the "LQrd God will speedily visit the inhabitants Qf the earth;. and in that " day that they are fully ripe in iniquity, they shall perish.· But behQld" "if the inhabitants o.f the oortIl shall repent Qf their wickedness and " abQminatiQns they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord Qf hQsts."

FrQm the twelfth chapter o.f 2 Nephi:

" But he that bQlieveth these things which I have spoken, him will I "visit with the mllIlifestatio.lllil o.f my spirit, and he shall know and bear t< recQrd." (Ethel' i :12.)

" If any man wiU do ItiB will, he SHALL KNOW of tke doet1'ine, wkether it be of Bod, or whetlUYr I speak ofmY86lJ." (John vii:17.)

I will say a wQrd here in regard to. a passage in Rev. xxii:18:

" F01' I t&tify unto e'D61'11 man that heareth tl~ word, of the propllM1J tif tltis book' (the Revelation of John), if any man ilw.ll add unto tlleBe tiling', God lllall add unto-11m the plaguu that are written in thi, book. "

This means that no. man shall add unto. the prophecyei JQhn's' RevelatiQn. It can be plainly seen that it does not l'efel' W. the Bible~


because the books which compose our Bible were/not compiled when the' Revelation was written. All the other books which compose the Bible were afterward added to John's Revelation.

Our Bible comprises only the books which the canons deciued to compile. tl'here are many inspired books that have never come down to us. There are over fifteen books spoken of in the Bible that are not in the Bible. In. the followillg paStlUges .are some of the books spoken of that are not in the Bible. 2 Ch1'ol1. ix: 29. 1 Chron. xxix: 29. Num. xxi: 14. 1 Kings xi: 41. 2 Chron. xiii: 22. 2 Chron. xii: 15. 2 Chrou. xx: 34. 2 Chron. xxvi: 22. Gen. v: 1. Ex. xxiv: 7. 1 Sam. x: 25. 1 Kings iv: 32. 2 Chron. xii: 15. In 1 Cor. v: 9, a third epistle to the COl'inthialls is mentioned; we have only two. In Col. iv: 16, the epistle from Laodiceu. In Jude iii, a second epistle of Jude is spoken of; we have but one. I have 'a copy of the book of Jasher; It is spoken ot in 2 Sam. i: 18 and Joshua x: 13.

I will give a few quotations from the Book of Mormon in regard to some points of doctrine over which the religious world is divided:

"Wherefore, I would exhort you, that ye deny not the powoc of H God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children "of men, the same to-day and to-morrow, and forever. Aud again I ex.. , hort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are .. , many; and they come from the same God. And there are different H ways that these gifts ar.e administered; but it is the same God who H worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestation of the Spirit ., of God unto men, to profit them. For behold, to one is given by the ., Spirit of God t that he may teach the wol'd of wisdom; and to another, H that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; and to .. anotner, exceeding great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by H the same Spirit. * * * (and so on, the different gifts which are ., enumerated by Paul in 1 Cor. xii.) ... * * * and all these gifts "of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, "even so long as the world shall stand, only accorcliug to the unbelief of .. the children of men. Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must H be faith, there must also be hope; and if there mllst be hope, there must "also be charity; and except ye have charity, ye can in no wise be saved ~'in the kingdom of God." Moroni' x: 1. .

"And he (Christ) said uuto them, 011 this wise shall ye baptize; ·'and there shall be no disputatiollo among you. Verily I say unto you, " that 'fhoso repenteth of his sins through your words, anel desireth to be "baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye haptize them: Behold, ye "shall go down and stund ill the water, and in my name Sllan ye baptize "them. And now behohl, tlwse are the words which you shall say, call"ing them by name, saying: HaTillg authority given me of .Jesns Christ, "I haptize yon in the llame of the Father, and of the Son, and of the "Holy Ghost. Amen. Alld then shall ye immerse them in the water, ~'and come forth again out of tIle water." (Nephi v :8.)

" The manner which the diHeipleH, who were called the elders of the "church, ordained priests awl teaciJcrs, After they had prayed unto the "Father in the llame of Chriat. th(·y h-oitl their hands upou them, and

If)


"said, In the llamc of JesllS Christ 1 OJ,Jaill you io be a priest j (or if he "be a teachel'), I ordain YOIl to be l\ teacher, to preach repentance and "remission of sins throu gh Jesus Christ, by the end urance of faith on hill "name to the end, Amen. And after this manner did they ordain "priests and teachers, according to the gifts and callings of God unto "men; and they ordained them by the power of the Holy Gbost which "was in them.-(Clwpter 8, Book of Moroni.)

"The manner of tlleir elders and prjests administering the flesh and "blood of Christ unto the church. And they administered it aocording "to the commandments of Christ j wherefore we know the manner to be "true; and the elder or priest did minister it. And they did kneel down "with the church, and pray to the Father in the name of Christ, saying, "0 God, the Eternal F ather, we ask thee ill the nnme of thy Son Jesus "Christ, to bleBS and sanctify this bread to tile souls of all those "who p~rtake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of "thy Son, and witness unto thee, 0 God, the Eternal .FatiJer, that they "are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, lIud always remem"ber him, and keep Ius commandments which he hath given them, that "they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.-(ClIapter 4. " Book of Moroni.)

" The manner of administering the wine. Behold, they took the cup. "and said, U God, the Eternal .Father, we ask thee, in the lIame of thy "Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those " who drink of it, that they may do it ill remembrance of the blood of thy "Son which was shml for them, that they may witness unto thee, 0 God,. "the Etemal Puther, that they do always remembel' him, that they may "have his Spiti~ to be with them. Amcn.-( Clwpier I), Book qf .¥oroni.)

" And now I speak cUllcel'llirrg baptism. llcbold, elders, priests and "teachers were baptized; and they were 1I0t balltizell, save they brought. \( forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it; neither did they receive " any unto baptism, save they came forth with a broken heart~lId a coo"trite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of "all their sins. Awl 1I0ne weI'e rcc<dved unto baptism, save they took "upon them the name of Christ, having Ii determination to serve him to "the Otld. And after they had been received unto baptism, and were " wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy G host, they were "numbered among the people of the Church of Christ, and their names "were taken, that they might be J'ememhered und nourished by the good "word of God, to keep them ill the right way, to keep them continually "watchful unto pray('r, relying alone upun the merits of Christ, who was "the author and the fiuisher of their faith. Anll the churc11 did meet "together oft, to fast and to prclY, aud to speak one with IInother con"cerning the welfare of theirsouJs: and they did meet together oft to "partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus; and they "were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; "and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the "church did condemn them before the elders; and if they repented not, "and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not nuro-

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~<bered among the people of Christ; but as oft as they repented, and sought "'.forgiveness, with real intent. they were forgiven. And their meetings H were conducted by the church, after the mannei' of the workings of the ~~ Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the <, Holy Ghost led them whether to preach or emort, or to pray, or to ~'supplicate, or to .sing, even .MO it was done.-( Okapter 6, Beok of ~'-j[oron~). -

Conc&rning a literal gathering of the Israel of God upon the earth in righteousneSB and holiness, see the paSBages of scripture which are given below.

The Book of Mormon contains prophesies concerning the gatherin~ .of Israel, which are much more full and explanatory. I will not go into detail on the teachings in the Book of Mormon in regard to this matter, trusting that all who have become interested in that Book will read it. Jer. xxxi.8-14. Israel shall be gathered, "and they shall not wrrow any more at all." Jer. xxxii :37-41. Israel shall be gathered, "and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever." Isa. liv:7, whole chapter, lSI!.. xi:1l-16, Ezek. xxxvii:15-28, Ezek. xxxiv:13-31.

Re~arding the two foreKoingpassages, remember that this prophesy was gIVen about 400 years after King David was dead. Ezek. xi:17-21. Rev. v:9-10. '<' And thf'y sl.mg a new song, saying, Thou art worthy, etc., * '" '" '" "and hast made us unto our God kiu£!s and priests: and we H shall REIGN ON THE EARTH." At the end of the ~illenial reign on this earth; then comes the end of the world and the second and last resurrection. All of the dead shall then rise. Only the righteous shall rise at the first resurrection. (Rev. xx:4-8, and whole chapter.) At the end of the world is the final judgment, after which there shall he a new earth and a new heaven. Then a great voice out of heaven cried" Behold, the 4' tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they ... shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their "'God." (Rev. xxi:1-7.) -

In regard to the gathering of a part of the house of Israel upon this land of America, which is the land God gave to the seed of Joseph (son of Jacob); and the gathering of a part of the house of Israel upon the land of Palestine, which is the land God gave to the Jews, I give you some of the words of Jesus Christ himself, which he spake to the people while he was upon this land, after fillishing his mission at Jerusalem.

(Book of Mormon, Nephi ix:9-12 and x:1.) " And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, 0 house of

H Israel. And behold, thIS people wilU establish in this land, unto the .. , fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it ... shall be a new Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the H midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you. "Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying, A prophet shall "the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto .. , me, him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto •• you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that .. , prophet, shall be cut off from among the people. Verily, I say unto ~. you, yea; and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow af-

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•• ter, as many 8S have spoken, have testified of me. And lleJwId ye are "the children of the prophets; and ye are of the hOllse of Israel; anll "ye are of the covenant which the i'ather made with your fathers, say"lUg unto AbrahtJ.m, And in thy seed, shall all the kindredil of the eartn "be blessed; the Father having raised me up nnto you first, and sent "me to bless you, in turning away every one of yon from his iniquities ;: "and this because ye arc tha children of the covenant. And after that Yf' "were blessed, then fulfilleth the 1<'ather the covenant which be ID9ide

" ~ith Abr",ham, saying, ill thy seed shall all the kimlnids of the eartho "be blessed, unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost, through me upon "the Gentiles, which blesi)ing upon the Gentiles, shan make 'them "mighty above all, unto the scattcl'ing of my people, 0 house of Israel: "and they shall be a scourge unto the people of this laud.' Neverthe"less, when they shall have received the fullness of my gospel, then if Ie they shall harden their hearts against me, I will return their iniqu~" ties upon their own heads, saith the Father. And I win remember the "covenant which J have made with my people, and I 'haTe covenanted " with them, that I would gather them together ill mine own due time; "that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers, for their "inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land "unto thcm forever, saith the Father.

"And it SIHlll come to pasS that the time cometh,~hclI tho fullness of F " my gospel shall be pl'eached unto them, and they shall believe ID me. ".that I am Jesus Christ, the SOil of God, and shall pray unto the :Father "in my name. 'l'hen shall their watchmen lift lip their voice; and with "the "oice together shaH they sing; for they shalillee eye to eye. 'rhell " will the Father gather them together again. nud give unto them Jeru"salem for the lalld of their illherit~mee. 'fhcH sha,1l they break forth "into joy'-:sinll' to"l;)thcl' ve wasle J)lacell of Jerusalem: * * *' * * * .. A~lll then slial1 be In'ought to lJasS that which is writ"ten, Awake, awake agaill, I1ml put 011 thy strength, 0 Zion; put on. ,; thy beautiful garments, 0 Jeru:;ulelll, t.he holy city, for henceforth "there shall no more como into thee the uncircumcjsed and the unclean. "Shake thyself fmlll the dust; ariJ..le, Kit down, 0 Jerusalem; loose thy. " sl'lf from the bauds of thy neck, 0 capti ve !laughter of Zioll. For thus "saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be re"deemed without money. Verily, verily. I say unto you, that my peo-" pIe shall know my name; yea, in that uay they shall know that I am " he that doth speak. '

" Anrl then shall they sar:' How beautiful upon tlle mountains are the "feet of him that bringet.1 good tiding:,; Ullto them, that publisheth "peace : that brillgeth good tidings unto them of good, that l'ublisheth "salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy God rcigllcth! And then shall "a cry go forth, Depart ye, uepart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not "that which is unclean; go ye out of tbe midst of her; be ye clean, that "bear the vessels of the Lon!. . For ye shall not go out with haste, nor .. go by flight: for the Lonl WIll go before you; and the God of Israel "shall be your rearward. Behold, my servant shall .deal prudently, he "shall be exhalted and extolled, and be very high. As Illany were asH tonished at thee; (his visage was so marred more than any man, and "his form more than the SOliS of men), so shall he· sprinkle many

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" nations; the kiIlgs shull shut their mouthll at him, for that which had " been told them shull they set!; and that which they had 110t heard "·shall they consider. Verily, verily, I say unto you, all these things "shall surely come, even as thc Father hath commanded me. . Then "-shall this covenant which the Fai.her hath covenanted with his people, " be fulfilled; and then shall Jerusalem be inhabited again with my peo.. pIe, and it shull be the land of their inheritance. And verily, I say "unto you, I give unt.o yon a sign, that ye.may know the time when " these thin~ shall he about to take place, that I shall gather in from " their long dispersion, my people, 0 house of Israel, and shall establish '~again among them Illy Ziull. And behold, this is the thing which I " will give unto you for It sign, for vcrily I say unto you, that when these "things whIch I dcclare Ullto you. and which I shall declare unto vou "hereafter of myself, aJl(I by the power of the Holy Ghost, which "shall be given uuto you of the Father, shall be made known "u~to the Gcntilm;, that they may know cOllcel'lling this :people " who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concprning thIS my "people who shall be scattered by them (the Indians); * * * " when these things COIl1C to pass, that thy seed shall begin to know these "things, it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the " work of the 'Father hath already commenced Ulito the fulfilling of the "covenant which 110 hath made unto the people who are the house of Is" rael: .. And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings

. U "Shali shut their mOllths; for that which had not been told them shall "they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. For "in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be " a great· and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among "them those who will not believe it, although a man shalNeclare it un" to them. But behold, the life .of my servant shall be in my hand; "therefore they shallllot hurt him, although he shall be marred because " of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will shew unto them that my wis" dom is greater than the cunlling of the devil. Therefore it shall come "to pass, that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus "Christ, whom the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gen"tiles, and shun give unto him power that he shall bring them forth un"to the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said,) they shall be cut " off from among my people who are of the covenant; and my :people "who are a remnant of Jacob, shall be among the Gentiles,· yea, III the " midst of them, as a liOll among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion "among the flocks"of sheep, who, if he go throu*h, both treaueth down "and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 'I heir hand shall be lift"ed up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. "Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles, except they repent, for it shall come to ,~ pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of " the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots, and I will cut off the " cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds; and I will cut " off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more sooth" sayers: thy graven images I will also cut off, ltnd thy standing images " out of the midst of thee; and thou shall no more worship the works of

. " thy hands; and I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; "so will I destroy thy cities. And it lihall come to pass that all lyings,


"and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts and whore"doms, shall be done away. For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, "that at that day, whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved "Son, them will I cut off from among my people, 0 house of Israel; " and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the .. heathen, such as they have not heard~

"But if they will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not "their hearts, I will estabtish my church among them, and they shall .. come in unto the covenant, aud be numbered among this the remnant .. of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance, and "they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob; and also, as .. many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, "which shall be called the New J el'usalem; and then shall they assist "my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all "the face of the land~ in unto the New Jerusalem. And then shall the " power of heaven come down among them; and I also will 00 in the "midst, and then shall the work of the :Father commence, at that day "even when this Gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this "people. Verily, I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Fa"ther commence among all the dispersed of my people ; yea, even the "tribes which have becn lost, which the l<'ather hath led away out of " Jerusalem. Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of " my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may "come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name; yea, "and then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, "in preparing the wal. whereby his people may be gathered home to the " land of thcir inheritance. And they shall go out from all nations; " and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight; for I will go before " them, s&ith the Father, and I will be their rearward.

"And in the mouth of three witnellSes shall these things be estabHsherl; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown fOI;th the power of God, and also II~ word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost beareth record; and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last (lay. And if it so be. that they repent and come unto the l<'ather in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God. And now, if I have no authority for these things, judge ye, for ye shall know that I have authority when ye shall see me, and we shall stand before God at the last day. Amen." (Ether ii).

" Hearken, 0 ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesns Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for behold, he commandeth me that I should write, saying: Turn, all yc Gcntiles, from your wicked ways, and repent of your evil doings, of YOlll' lyillgs and deceivillgs, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatrics, and of your murders, and of your priestcrafts,H.lId your envyings, and your strifes, aud from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive 8 remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people, who are of the bouse of Israel." (Nephi chap. xiv.)

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PART SECO·ND .

. CHAPTER I I I.

TO BELIEVERS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON.

Dea'r BretllrelL : The spirit of God moves upon me t.o send forth this epistle unto you.

It is wisdom in God that these facts which I give you have not been made genei'ally known loug ago. But now the Spirlt of God has made it manifest to me to make them known. The time is at hand to prepare for the day when the gospel will go to the house of Israel! It has been made known. to me tliat when the. gospel goes to the remnant of Jacob (the Lamanites), it must go to them as Ohrist has given it to ns, the fullness of which is in the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. I know that the Latter Day Saints are teaching some errors in doctrine, and I hope to convince the honest in heart among them of this fact. The commands of God are strict, and his word is yea, yea, and nay, nay~ It is a' serious thing for man to add doctrines to the doctrine which Christ has taught in his word. Christ has taught that it is necessary to be abiding in his doctrine, and whosoever teaches more or less than the doctrine which he has b~L1ght in his word, is not of Him. He has taught but one doctrine. I do not mean to judge or condemn the Latter Day Saints .. God is the judge. iJut I will speak the truth as the Spirit of God moves upon me to speak it, and I hope and pray that many will heed the truth - that they will lay aside all error, and come in upon the doCtrine of Christ, as it is taught in the written word. I believe that the Latter Day Saints who are opposed to polygamy have done a great work and great good. I believe they have done & great work in carrying forth the Book of Mormon. We cannot 11.1 ways understand God's ways of dealing with his people. God suffers men to be led into error because of their blindness of heart. He works with men only ac-

. cording to their faith and obedience; but now the Spirit of God is moving upon the Elders of the Church. of Christ to go forth unto all the believers in the Book of Mormon, and unto all other people, crying repentance, and calling on them to heed to the teachings of Christ. I do not mean to persecute Joseph the translator of the Book of Mormon. I love him, and I love Joseph his son, and believe him to be a ¥ood man. Joseph, like many of those of old whom God had chosen, fell lDto error; and why should we want to follow any man into error? Should we put our trust in an arm of 1Iesh? Nay, verily!

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There never lived but one perfect man, and tha.t was Christ; and he is our ouly law-giver. Therefore we should take great heed and compare with the" written word" all doctrines, and laws and revelations coming through any man, for any man can fall into error and leal! every one into error who trusts in man. God chooses the Wt:lak things of this world, so that man should not put their trust in man and make flesh their arm, but put their trust in God only.. It:is just, in God's wisdom, that everyone who is not living sufficiently spiritual to discern between truth and error, slwuld be led into error. God called Saul and many others of old who afterward fell into error and lost the Spirit, knowing that they would fall, so as to let everyone be led into error by them who had such little faith in God as to make a man their God, and trust in "an arm of flesh," instead of putting their whole faith and trust in God only, and heeding Him only. God suffered them to be led into error because of their transgressions and lack of faith in Him. Christ has spoknD, and the voice of God has declared from the heavens: "Hear ye . kim!" His teachings in the Book of Mormon and the New Testament are the same.

But the Latter Day Saints have another book of doctrine - the "Doctrine and Covenants" - in which are doctrines that Christ never taught to the "twelve" at Jerusalem, no)' to the" twelve" upon this continent. 'rhe Latter Day Saints believe these new doctrines, which do not agree with the teachings of Christ. Why do they believe them? BecaUSE! they are pl1tting too much trllst ill a man! 'rhis has been the mistake of God's people in all ages past. Head the· scriptures and observe how very S0011 the great majority of God's peonlc always fell into error by trusting in man. Men who were humble' wilen God chose them, but afterward fell into error. If men do llot·live near f>-Dough to God to discern error when it comes - and it may appear as an angel of light-{for instance, polygamy)-God suffers them to be led into error because of their transgressions. See how many of the prophets whom God called afterward f~ll into error. Saul, David, Solomon, and many proyl1ets in·lsrael. .

Now, do not judge, nor say whether Saul, David, Solomon, or Joseph will be saved or lost. 'I'hese are all in the hands of a just God. Perhaps the errors of David were more grievous than those of Joseph. Now I hope you understand me. I am not persecuting Brother Joseph, and never did persecute him. Because he erred is lIO reason why I should not love l)im.· God called him to translate his sacred word by the power and gift of God; but he waR not called to set up and establish the church any more than any of 11S Elders were. This I will prove conclusively later on, from evidence which yon are bound to accept.

The" 9HOICE SEER," spoken of ill the Book of Mormon is not Brother Joseph. I will give you here a brief outline concerning this" Choice Seer" who is yet to come forth. The 1IIrr It 'Who £,~ not learned (in 2 Nephi xi; 18), refers to Brother .Joseph, but the" Choice Seer" (in 2 Nephi ii) is another man. He is to come from the Lamanites. He is to come from the fruit of the loins of Joseph (of Egypt), that seed being the" branclt fokie" foas to be bro/o:en ojr" at Jerusalem, to whom this land was consecrated for their inherita.nce forever - being Lehi and his seed; Lehi's seed being little Joseph, who received this blessing from

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hill father Lehi, that his seed should not be utterly destroyed; for Oft! of his seed which should not all be destroyed (the Imlians) RhOllid come to this "Choice Seer." This is the interpretation of this chapter. .This" Choice Seer" will be of that seed. His name will be Joseph, and his father's name Joseph. He is to translate sealed records yet to come forth, (spoken of in 2 Nephi xi: Hi). "And ll_t to tlte bringing fortlt my 100rd only, .• aitlt tlie Lord, nn TO THE CONVINCING THEM OF MY WORD." How many Indians did Brother Joseph convince? He never preached a sermon to them in his life to my knowledge. May God help you brethren to understand this chapter, for it can only be understood by the enlightening power of the Holy Ghost. It is very plain to me. I speak in full on this subject in chapter X.

I want to say to the Latter Day Saints, that the elders of the Church of Christ, in coming to them, come to them as theil' brethren, in love and in meekness. God forbid that we should perHecnte you, who have likewise taken upon yourselves the" shame of Christ" in this age of the world - which shame, in the eyes of the world, is believing the Book of Mormon. No; we love you, and by the help of God we will labor, trusting that the day is not far distant when the honest in heart among you, and among all believers in the Book of .Mormon, and the world, may all be one with us upon the doctrine of Christ, working by the power and gifts of God to prepare the way for the gospel to go to the House of Israel. God only knows how I have grieved and suffered and plead with him for you for the past forty-eight years, that you might repent and be enlightened by the Holy Ghost to see the errors into which you have been led. To God belongs the mystery of his dealings with his people; he is allwise, and his ways are not man's ways. Mormon stood alone for many years, when the whole church of Nephites and Lamanites had everyone gone into error and transgression. He stood alone, holding the anthority, and prayed to God continually that he might go to them and preach to them; but the Lord forbid him to preach to them. Then let no man judge hastily as to my authority, lest he judge wrongly and continue in error; but go to God in prayer and fastmg, and find out the truth, for the Holy Ghost will gil ide YOll into all truth. If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; if you believe that God spake to 11S three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to "separate myself from among the Lattel' Day Saints, for as they sought to do unto me, so should it be'done unto them." In the spring of 1838, the heads of the church and mlLnyof the members had gone deep into error and blindness. I had been strivillg with them for a long time to show them the errors into which thcy were (hifting, and for my labors I received only persecutions. In June, IH:38, at Far . West, Mo., a secret organizatioll was formed, Doctor Avard being put in as the leader of the band; a cE'rtain oath was to he administered to alIthe brethren to bind them to support tho heaus vf the church in everytlting they sltOuld teaclt. All who refused to take this oath were considered dissenters from the church, and certain things were to be done concerning these dissenters, by Dr. Avard's secret band. I make no farther statements now; but suffice it to say that my persecutions, for trying to show them their error8, became of sHch a natur~ that I had

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to leav~ the Latter Day Saints; ana,as t rode on hOl'seback outof Far West, in June, 1838, the voice of God from heaven spake to me as I have stated above I was called out to hold the authority which God gave to me.

I see from a letter written by the heads of the church, while they were in Liberty Jail, that they repentpd while in jail of having anything to dQ with this secret organization, and came out against Dr. Ava.rd, declaring it all wickedness, and resolved to henceforth. disapprobate everything that was not according to the gospel, and which was not of a bold, frank and upright nature. I quote from this letter, printed in the Times and Seasolt,~, July, 1840: '

"We jartlter caution our b1'etltrC1~ against tlle impropriety of tke organization of band.~ or companies, by covenants, oatlls, penalUe.~, or secrecies; but let tlle time past of 0111' eXperience and suUering by Ute wickedness of Dr. Avard sf~tfice. .A ud let our covenant.~ be that of tlteeverlasting covenant, a,~ t't i,~ contained in tlte Holy Writ, and tlte tltings wldclt God has revealed unto 1t,~. 1'1/1'e j'riend"lti1) always becomes 1IJeakened the very moment you. undertake 10 make it stronger by penal oatlts and secrecy. Yottr 1t1t'/llbleservants intend FR01! HENCEFORTH to disapprobate everytlling tltat is not -in accordance wWt tlle fullness of tlte gospel of Jesus Oltrist, and 11Jldcll is 110t of a bold, frank and upri,qht nature."

They were put in jail in November, nfter I had left them. Now you see why I left the Latter Day Saints .. After I left them they say they gave me a trial and cut me off. About the same time that I came out .• the Spirit of God moved upon quite a number of the brethren who came out, with their families. All of the eight witnesses who were then living (except the three Smiths) came out; Peter and Christian Whitmer Were dead. Oliver Cowdery came out also. Martin Harris was then in Ohio. The church went deeper and deepH into wickedness. They were driven out of Missouri. and went to Nauvoo; and were driven out of Nauvoo, and went to Salt Lake, where they are to-day, believing in the doctrine of polygamy. Nearly nIl the members at Nauvoo went to Salt Lake. Only a very few rejected the revelation on polygamy. The Reorganization is built up principally of members- not of the old church - but new converts. 'fhe majority of those who did not go to Salt Lake are in the Reorganizcd Chljrch to-day.

Many of the Reorganized Church have wondered why I have stood apart from them. Brethren, I will hero tell you why. God commanded lue by his own voice to stand apal't from you. Many of you think that I have a desire to lead - to lead a church that believe as I do. I have \10 such desire. A one-man leader to the church is not the teachings of Christ. After Brother Joseph was killed, many came to me and importuned me to come out and be their leader; but I rEfused. With these sta.tements, 80 you will understand me, I will proceed to show you how the heads of the church went into one error after another. I followed them into many errors in doctrine, which the Lord has since shown me, and which errors I have confessed and repented of, and will speak of in this pamphlet.

I am not preaching self-justification from being In errors in doctrine lit the past. It is since 1847 that I have been shown all the errors into which I had followed the heads of the church, and tlmt when God's own


due time came tor buHding' tip the Waste piaces of ~J.on, the Church of Christ must be established on the teachings of Christ, which teachings in their purity are in the new covenant of the Book of Mormon, and come forth to us to settle all disputations about doctrine, because many plain and precious things have been taken from the rt:cord of the Jews, and on all doctrinal points-order of church offices, etc.-we must rely npon it. , '

Christ commanded the Nephites to write. his teachings, for they were to come down to us as the fullness of his gospel to U8. '

And why is it? Oh, why is it that you will not take the words of Christ himself, and lay down your contentions and disputations, taking his plain,. simple teachings which he has given us in that book? As you know, the teachings qf Christ are the same in the New Testament and in the Book of Mormon; but on account of the plain and precious things being taken from the Bible, there is room therein for disputations on Bome doctrinal points; but the teachings of Christ in the Book of Morinon are pnre, plain, simple and full. Christ chose" twelve" and called them ,disciples or elders, not aPQstles, and the "twel ve" ordained elders, priests and' teachers. These are all the spiritual offices in the Chn~ of Christ, and their duties are plainly given. '1'he manller or baptism, and the manner of administering the flesh, and blood of Christ, ann everythiQg pertaining to the Church of Christ is plainly set forth in the fullness of the gospel, as I will show you in this epistle.

Of course I do not mean to place one book ahead of the other. I am also called to bear. witness that the Bible is true. The angel who declared unto us that the Book of Mormon was true, also declared unto us that the Bible was true. They are both the W md of God, and as it is prophesied, they both shall be one.

Ooncerning the question of my authority to administer in the ordinances of the Church of Christ, I have this to say: As I have stated, I was called out to hold t4e authority that God gave to me. I am. not judging'as to whose authority was good, or whose authority was not good. I am not judging as to any man's authority now to act ill the church be is in . he has authority to act in the church he is in: but the Lord has made it known to me that no man hllo8 authority to act in "the Ohurch of Christ," without being adopted therein according to the gospel of Christ.

I believe there are many honest hearts among all the orders of Latter Day Saints, and many in all churches, and in the world, that will yet come to a knowledge of the truth. Many of you believe, that because IIome of the spiritual gifts are with you, therefoJ'e YOll must be in the true doctrine of Christ; but this does not follow. '1'he" signs" are }lroduced in a believer by his faith. Some of the signs have been with all the factions who believe the Book of Mormon. If vou have not charity, the signs will profit you nothing, Christ said, " Many 1uill say to me in t/tat day, Lord, Lord, lutve fue not pro'Plte.~ied in tlty name <; and in thy name ltav(l cast out tlevil.~? and ii, tlty name done mat'y tuonderful 'Works 1 And tlten 1vill I profe.~.~ unto tltem, 1 never knew you." (Matt. vii: 22-23.) No, brethren I uo not thillkthat because some of the spiritual gifts are with. a church, that that cburch cannot be in error by teaching more or less than the doctrine of Chria;t.

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CHAPTER IV.

BOW. THE CHURCH WAS ESTABI.ISHED IN THE llEGINNING, AND HOW THEY DRIFTED INTO ERROR.

In June 1829, the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished. God gave it to us as his Hol'y Word, and left us as men to work out our own salvation and set in oruer the Church of Christ according to the written word. He left us as men to receive of His Spirit as we walked worthy to receive it; and His Spirit guides men into all truth; but the spirit of mun guides mun into error. When God had given us the Book of Mormon, and a few revelations in 1829 by the same means that the Book was transll1ted, commandin~ us to rely upon the written word in establishing the church, He did Ills part; and left us to do our part and to be guiJed by the Holy Ghost as we walked worthy to receive. God works with men according to His divine wisdom and justice. He works with men only accOlding to their faith and obedience. He haa unchangeable spiritual laws which He cannot ,break; and He conld not be so merciful as to give more of His Spirit to any mati, than that man was worthy to receive by his faith and obedience.

In the beginning we walked humble and worthy to receive a great portion of the Spirit of Gou, and we we're guided rightly at first in esta.blishing the Church, but we soon began to drift into errors, because we 4eeded our own desires too much, instead of relying solely upon God and\¥.ing led entirely by His Holy Spirit How easy it is for a man to drift into errors, and think Itt the tinle that he is domg God's will. Brethren, few of us knolV how wily and cunning Satan works, and how easy a man can be deceived and led into errors. Satan works in many ways to lead. the spiritual man into error step by step. I will state a few facts concerning some of Brother Joseph's errors in the beginning, also the errors of us all, in 'order to show you these most important truths, viz: How humble and contrite in heart a man must be to receive, revelations from God: anu how very weak man is, and how liable to be led into error, thinking at the time that he is doing Gou's will.

At times when Brothel' Joseph would attempt to translate, he would look into the hat in which the stone was placed, he found he was spiritually blind and could not translate. He told us that his mind dwelt too much on earthly things, and various causes would make him incapable of proceeding with the translation. When in this condition he would go out and pray, and when he became sufficiently humble before God, he could then proceed with the translation, Now we see how very strict the Lord is; and how he requires the heart of man to be just rIght in His sight, before he can receive revelation from him.

'When the Book of .Mormon was in the hands of the printer, more money was needed to finish the printing of it, We werc waiting on Martin Harris who was doing his best to sell a part of his farm, in order

. ,to raill,\ the necessary funds. After a time Hyrum Smith and others began to get impatient, thmking that Martin Harris'was too slow and under transgression for not selling his land at once, even if at a great sacrifice. Brother Hyrum thought they should not wait any longer on Martin Harris, and that the money should be raised in some other way. Brother

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Hyrum was vexed with Brother Martin, and thonght they should get Lile money by some means outside of him, and not let him have anything to do with the publication of the Book, qr receiving any of the profit~ thereof if any profits should accrue. He was wrong in thus jtldging Bro. Martin, because he was doing all he conld toward selling his land. Brother Hyrum said it had been suggested to him that some of the brethren might go to Toronto, Oanada, !LIld sell the copy-right of the Book of Mormon for considerable money: and he persuaded Joseph to inquire of the Loru about it. Joseph concluded to do so. He had not yet given up the stone. Joseph loolfed into the hat ill which he placed the stone, and r~ceived It revelation that some of the brethren should go to Toronto, Oanada, and that they would sell the copy-right of the Book of Mormon. Hiram page and Oliver Cowdery went to 'l'oronto on this mission, but they failed entirely to sell the copy-right, returmng withou t any money. Joseph was at my father's house when they returned. I was there also, and am an eye witness to these facts. Jacob Whitmer and John Whitmer were also ·prescnt when Hiram Page and Oliver Oowdery returned from Oanada. Well, we were all in' great trouble; an& we asked Joseph how it was that·he had received a revelation from the Lord for some brethren to go to 'l'oronto and sell the copy-ri~ht, and the brethren had utterly failed in their undertaking. Joseph dId not know how it was, so he enquired of the Lord about it, and behold the following revelation came through the stone: "Sumc 1'()'velations are of God: some revelations are of man: and some revelations are of the devil." So we see that the revelation to go to Toronto and sell the copy-right was not of God, but was of the devil or of the heart of man. When a man enquires of the Lord concerning a matter, if he is deceived by his own carnal desires, and is in error, he will receive an answer according to his erring heart, but it will not be a revelation from the Lord. This was a. lesson for our benefit and we should have profited by it in future more than we did. Without much explanation you can see the 01'1'01' of Hyrum Smith in thinlting evil of M4rtin Harris without a cause, and desiring to leave him out in the publication of the Book; and also the error ,of Brother Joseph in listening to tho persuasions of men and Illlquiriug of the Lord to. see if they might not go to Toronto to sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon, when it was made known to Brother Joseph that tbe will of the Lord was to have Martin IlItrris "raise the money.

Remember this matter breth}'en; it is very important. Farther on I will give you references of scripture on this point, showing that this IS God's way of dealing with His people. Now is it wisdom to put your trust in Joseph Smith, and believe all his revelations in the Doctrme

.and Oovenants to be of God? Everyone who cloes not desire to bc of Paul, or of Apollos, or of Joseph, hut desires to be oj' C7t?-ISt will say that it is not wisdom to put our trnst in him and believe his revelations as if from God's own mouth! I will say here, that I could tcll you other false revelations that came through Brother Joseph as mouthpiece, (not through the stone) but this will sumce. Many of Brother Joseph·s revelations were never printed. The revelation to go to Oanada was writton down on paplJr, but was never printed. Whell Brother Joseph was humble he had the Spirit of God with him; bu!' whon he was not humble he did

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not have the Spirit. Brother J osel?h gave ma.ny true prophesies when he was humble before God: but this IS no more thal\ many.of the other brethren did. Brother Joseph's true prophesies were almost all published, but those of the other brethren were not. I could give you the names of many who gave great prophesies which came to pass. I will name a few: Brothers Ziba Peterson, Hiram Page, Oliver Oowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Peter Whitmer, Ohristian Whitmer, John Whit-

. mer, myself and many others had the gift of prophesy. Hiram Page prophesied a few days before the stars fell in Novembci', 1833, that the stars would fall from heaven and frighten many people. This prophesy was given· in my presence. I could give you many instances of true prophesies which came through the above named brethren, but I desire to be brief. I could also tell you of some false prophesies which some of them gave, when they were not living humble.

After the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished, early in the spring of 1830, before April 6th, Joseph gave the stone to Oliver Oowdery and told me as well as the rest that he was through with it, and he .did not use the stone auy more. He said he was through the work that God had given him the gift to perform, except to preach the gospel. He told us that we would all haye to depcnd.oll tho Holy Ghost hereafter to be guided iuto truth and obtain the will of the Lord. The revelations after this came through Joseph as "mouth piece;" that is, he would enquire of the Lord, pray and ask concerning a matter, and speak out the revelation, which he thought to be a revelation from the Lord'; but sometimes he was mistaken- about it being the word of the Lord. As we have seen, some revelatiolls are of God and some are not. In this manner, through Brother Joseph as "mouth piece" came every revelation to establish new doctrines and officcs which disagree with the Now Oovenant in the Book of Mormon and New Testament-! I would have you to remember this fact. .

In June, 1829, the Lord called Oliver Oowdcry, Martin Harris, and myself as the three witnesses, to behold the vision. of the Angel, as recorded in the fore part of the Book of Mormon, and to bear testimony to the world that the Book of Mormon is true. I was not called to bear testimony to the mission of Brothel' Joseph Smith a'flY farther than his work of translating the Book of Mormon, as you can see by reading the testimony of us three witnesses. .

In this month I was baptized, confirmed, and ordained an Elder in the Ohurch of Ohrist by Bro. Joseph Smith, Previons to this, Joseph Smith and Oliver Oowdery lHHl baptized, confirmed and ordained each other to the office of an Elder in the Ohurch of Christ. I was the third person baptized into the church. In August, 1829, we began to preach the gospel of Ohrist. The following six Blders had tlwn been ordained :' Joseph Smith, Oliver Oowdery, Peter Whitmer, Samuel H. ~IIJ.ith, Hyrum Smith and myself, 'fhe Book of Mormon was still in the hands of the printer, but my brother, Christian Whitmer;had copied from the manuscript the teachings and doctrine of Ohrist, being the things which we were commanded to preach. We preached, paptized and confirmed members into the Ohurch of Ohrist, from August, 1829, until April 6th, 1830, being eigltt montlts in which time we had proceeded rightly j the offices in the church being Elders, Priests and Teachers.

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Now, when April 6. 1830, had come, we had then established three branches of the •• Church of Christ," in which three branches were about seventy members: One branch was at Fayette, N. Y.; one at Manchester, N. Y., and one at Colesville, Pa. It is all a mistake about the church being organized on April G, 1830, as I will show. We were as fully orgam'zed - spiritually - before April 6th as we were on that day. The reason why we met on that day was this; the world had been telling us that we were not a regularly organi'l:E\d church, and we had no right to officiate in the ord!nance of.marriage, hold church properly, etc ... and that we should orgamze accordmg to the laws of the land. On thlsaccount we met at my father's house in Fayette, N. Y., on April 6, 1830, to attend to this matter of organizing according to the laws of the land; you can see this from Sec. 17 Doctrine and Convenants:' the church was Qrganized on April 6th" agreeable to tlte laws of our country."

It says after this, "by tlte foill and commandments 0/ God;" but this revelation came through Bro. Joseph as "mouthpiece.' Now brethren, how can it be that the church was any more organized - spirituallyou April 6th, than it was belme that time? There were six elders and about seventy mere hers before April 6th, and the same number of elders and members. after that day. We attended to our business of organizing, according to the laws of the land, the church acknowledging us six elders as their ministers; besides, a few who had recently been baptized and not confirmed were confirmed on that day; some blessings were pronounced, and we partook of the Lord's supper.

I do not consider that the church was any more org-anized or estab-. lished in the eyes of God on that day than it was prevIOUS to that day. I consider that on that day the first error was introduced into the Church of Christ, and that error was Brother Joseph being ordained as "Prophet Seer and Revelator" to the church.

The Holy Ghost was with us in more power during the eight months previous to April 6, 1830, than ever at any time thereafter. Almost everyone who was baptized received the Holy Ghost in power, some prophesying, some speaking in tongues, the heavens were opened to some, and all the signs which Christ promised should follow the believers-were with us abundantly. We ",ere an humble happy people, and loved each Qther as brethren should love. .

Just before April 6, 1830, some of the brethren cegan to think that the church should have a leader, just like the children of Israel wanting a king. Brother Joseph finally inquired of the Lord about it. He must ha-ve had a desire himself to be their leader, whieh desire in any for-mis not of God. for Ohrist said "If an!! man desire to be first, tlle same sltall be la8t (!f all. and servant of all." "He tltat would he great, let kim be your servant." "For Ita tltat i,~ least among you all, tlte same shall he great." A true and humble follower of Christ will never have any desire to lead or be first, or ~o seck the praise of men or brethren. Desiring any prominellce whatever is not humility, but it is pride; it is seeking praise of mortals instead of the praise of God. Joseph received a revela-tioll that he shoulrl he the leader; that he should be ordained by Oliver Cowdery as ., Prophet Seer and Revelator" to the church, and that the church should receive his words as if from God's own mouth. Satan surely rejoiced on that day, for he then saw that in

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time he could overthrow them. Remember, "Some re'velatiotls are (!f God; some revelations m'e "fmCtn, and some revelations ftre vf lite devil.'" God allowed them to be answered acconling to their erring desires. They were like the children of Israel wanting a king, and God gave them a king, but it was to their final destruction. He gave the church a leader, but it proved their destruction and final landing of the majority of them in the Salt Lake valley in polygamy, believing that their leader had reeeived a revelation from God to practice this abomination. This was the first error that crept into the church. None of us detected it thell. We had /tIl confidence in Brother Joseph, thinking' that as God had given him so great a gift as tu translate the Book of Mormon, that everything he would do must be right. That is what I thought about it. You see how we trusted too much in man instead of going to God in humility, and to his written word, to Sbe if we were proceeding rightly. It grieves me mnch to think that I was not more careful, aud did not rely upon the teachings of Christ iu the written word. But we were then young in years, and all of us were mere babes in Christ. Brother Joseph aud myself were only twenty-five years of age.

Although Brother Joseph was in this high ofiice, he was humble most of the time, and he and all of us had the Spirit with us when we were humble. but as I have stated we did not have the Spirit with .us in power as a body after this, as we did before April (j, 1830. After Sydney Rigdon came into the church - or ill the spring of ls:n - we began to make proselytes faster; bnt great llUmUel'S comill~ into the church ooes not ~~lways signify great spiritual prusperity. The people Il1I~Oe light of the church in Noah's time, there was ouly eight members in it, but it proved to be tho tl'l10 church.

I want the bretht'cll to ulJdel'stand me eOllcel'llillg' this error of ordaining Brother Joseph to that otliee Oll April G, l~mo. Nut at all do I mean t() say that I believe the ehurch was then rejedetl of GOl\. What oecuretl on that day was thi:i: One of t1w elllers of the church (Joseph) was led into a grievous error; and the memhet':> aClluiescod in it. In time it proved to be a most grievous errOl:. being the cause uf the trouble which afterwards befel the people of God. Thcy put their trllst ill Brother Joseph and received his revelatiuns as if from God's own mouth. (Jer. xvii:5)", Tlt'lls sreitlt till' Lord: cl/rsed be lite man that trul:!tctlt in man. and maketlt .flesh his (1/'111,' (/lIlill'/Wsl' hell rt departetlt from the Lord." This hus boen the great eur::;o uf the work of Gud ill these last days. Nearly all of the church have continued t(~ heed the words of men as if from God's OWIl mouth - following' Iltilll into one errol' in d.oc.triue ufter another- from year to yeal'- eVell 011 dOWII i lito the doctrine of polygamy.

When Christ came into the world, the (lodrine of a one mall leader to the church was not tllll,r;!tI b.'l lIilll, tliu{lI'c arc l)1)sitiIJely under Christ and !tis tcacldll,(j,' in the II'rittcll Ii'01·d. The Buok of Morman tells us plainl'y that THE WOIU):-> OF CIIlmrr ARE '1'0 BE MAllg KNOWN IN ,[,IfE SEALED ItECOIW;-, OF TIlE NEPIIITER. AND IN THE HECOIW OF TIlE JEWS: (thc Bible) and this excludes the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, (l Nephi iii:43). (Concerning a "Choice Seer," who is tu bring forth more of the words of Christ from the scaled records of the Nephites, altll eOllvince and restore the Lamanites and the house of Israel, See chapter 10).

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The next grievous errol' which crl~pt into the church was in ordaiitlng high priests in June, 1831. This {'l'tor was introduced at the instigation of Sydney Rigdon. The office of high priestll was never spoken of, and never thought of being established in the church until Rigdon carne in. Hemember that we luul been preaching from August, 1829, until June, 1831-almost two years- and had baptized about 2,000 'members into the' Church of Christ, and had not one high priest. During 1829, several times we were told by Brother Joseph that an elder was the highest office in the church. In December, Ib30, Sydney Rigdon and Edward Partridge came from Kirtland, Ohio, to Fayette, N. Y., to see Brother Joseph, nnd in the latter part of the winter they returned to Kirtland. In February, 18;Jl, Brother Jo.~eph came to Kirtland where Rig-don was. Uigdon was a thorough Bible scholar, a man of fine education, and a powerful orator. He soon worked himself deep into Brothel' Jo': 8eph's affections, and had 11\ore iniluellce over him than any other man living. He was Brothel' Joseph's private cOUlJsello~, and his most intimate friend and brother for some time after they met. Brother.J oseph rejoiced, believing that the Lord haYl seut to him this great and mighty man -Sydney Rigdon, to hel,P him ill the work. Poor Brother Joseph! He was mistaken about this. and liKewi:;e all of the brethren were mistaken; for we thought at that time just as Brother Joseph did a"Llout it. But alas! in a few years we found out different. Sydney Rigdon was the cause of .almost all the errors which were introduced while he was in the church. 1 believe Rigdon to Imve been the i!lstigator of the secret Qlganization known as the" Danites" which was formed il,l Far West Missouri in June, 1838. In Kirtland, Ohio, in 1831, Ri~r(lon woulel expound the Old Testament script.ures of the Bible an(l Book of Mormon (in his way) to .Joseph, concerning the priesthood. high priests, etc., and would persuade Brother Joseph to inquire of the Lbr(l about this doctrine and that doctrine, and of COUl'Sl' It revelation would lI.lways. corne just as they ·desired it. Rigdon finally persuaded Brother Joseph to believe that the high priests which had such great power ill aneient times, should be in "the Ohurch of Christ to·d:q. TIe had BJ"Other Joseph inquire of tllC Lord about it, and they received au answer accordillg to their erring desires. Remember that this rm'elation name like 010 one to ordnin l~rother Joseph" Pl"Ophl't Seer and Revelator" to the ehureh - through Brother .Toseph as mouthpiece. !tnd not through the stone. Remember also that" somc 'l"l'l'('l.((tion,~ are of God; .~ome 1"el'clations are oj man; and some ·revelaliolls (we or lhe devil."

. False spirits, wh'ich corneas an Angel of Light. al'e abroad in the earth to deceive. if it. were possible, the ,"cry elect. Those whom Satan can deceive and lead illto enol' he deceives. Now do !lot understand me

. to say that I think a Illall who is dl.'cei\·mi about high priests being in the church is going to lORe his soul. I a:m T1i)t jndging-- God iR the judge. But if God did not mcan for this order of high I))'iL'tlts to be ordained in the Church of Clll'ist, it is a seriolls errol' to have added that officc to the OhUl~ch. If God did not mean for Emther ,Joseph to set himself up as Seer to the church, and the church to receive his revelations as if from God's own mouth, I tcll you brethren it is a most serious error. If you are in error on the gathering of Israel and building the city New Jerusalem, (and you are in error), it is a serious error; and likewise the other


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doctrines of error which are taught in the Book of DoctrInes and CoV'.: enanta.

In this manner the revelations came through Brother Joseph as mouthpiece from time to time. Brother Joseph would listen to the persuasions of men, and inquire of the Lord concerning different things, and the revelation~ would come just as they desired and thought in their hearts. .

In another part of this pamphlet I devote a chapter to the subject of High Priests. I will remark here, that in that chapter I give you the solemn news- at least, news to many of you - that when the first high priests were ordained nt Kirtland, Ohio, in June, 1831, the devil caught and bound two of the high priests as soon as they we,'e or(lained. Harvey Whitlock, whom the devil caught, bound and twisted his face into demon-like shape, also John Murdock, whom the devil bound so he clJ'ltld not speak. Thus showing that God's displeasure was npon their works when they ordained the first high priests in the church, None of the brethren understood this fact then. We still thought that anything Brother Joseph and Syduey Rigdon would do, must be all right anel according to the will and mind of the Lord, 'rhe whole church acquiesed in the error of ordaining high priests, Marvel 110t that we began to be led into error so soon,; the children of Isrnel went into gross error in forty days; following Aaron while Mosesw!Ls in the mount,

I desire to say a few words hero concel'lling prophets falling into error. Solomen, David, Saul, Uzziah and many grent and gifted proph~ ets in Israel fell into gross error, and some of them into crimo. Paul Mid he kept his 'body under subjection, lest he should beeome a castaway, after having ~reached to others, . Many of tho Latter ]lay Saints, . believe that it was Impossible for Brother Joseph to have fallen, I wiH give you some evidence upon this matter which I suppose yon will ocrtainly accept, showing that Brother Joseph belonged to the class of men who could fall into error and blindness. From the following you will see that Brother Joseph belonged to the weakest class - the claaB that were very liable to fall, I quote from a revelation which came throllgh the stone, July, 1828. It is a revelation to Brother Joseph, chastising him for his errors after he had commenced to translate the Book of Mormon ... telling him how often he had erred and transgressed the commandmal1ts! and the laws of God; telling him that if he was not aware, he would fall,. and have his gift to translate taken from him, Ahm telling him,. that although a man may have mltny revolations, and have power to dO' many mighty works, yet, if he boasts in his own strength, etc,. he must fall. " Remember, remembe1', tltat it is not lite 11'01'1.: o( (lor! t"ntls fmstrated, but tlte work of men: for although n man may' lutve mal/y 'l'ellcln[tons, and have power to do many mighty works, yet, If !te bo({st,~ in his own strengtlt, and sets at naug/tt tlu} counsels of (loci, and fOUO'H.'s af/c?" tlte dwtates of ,tis mon 10ill and canwl de,~ire.~, HE )/("ST FALL rout incur' tlte· vengeanr;e of a f1lst God 1lpon Mm, Behold, yon lwve been eutrusted witlt these tltings, but ltlno strict tom'c yo m' CO?ll?lwndrnell Is ; rrnd rfmember,.

. also, tlte promises 1vkiclt toere made to you, ~f you did 11,(Jt tr((7lggl'c.~s tltem, and bel wid, HOW OFT HAVE YOU TItAN8GUESSEJ) THE CO)DlAx rntENTS AND THE LAWS OF GOD, and ltave GONE ON IN THE PERSFASJONS· OF )['EN ;

'" '" '" Belwld tlt01t art Joseph, and thou wast c1wSe1t to rio tlte 'lfJOrlc 1

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bJ tlte Lord, (was given a gat to translate the Book) but because of trtin8~ yression, IF THOU ART NOT AWARE, THOU WILT FALL, but remember God is merciful: '" '" '" '" '" thou hast suffe1'ed tlte council of thy Di-

• i"ector to be tmmpled upon from tlle begi1lUing." So we see that Brother Joseph was very weak and liable to fall, even while translating the Book, the time when he should have been strong, because he was in constant communion with God .. Now if he was so weak and liable to err at that time, is it any wonder that he erred in 1830, and after that time? Of course not! Ah brethren, great are the mysteries of God! His ways are not man's ways. He chooses the weak thmgs of earth - weak menso that man should not put his trust in man and make flesh his arm, but put his trust in God only, and rely upon that which is written. God put man on the earth to be a free agent unto himself, to choose and discern between good and evil, between truth and error in doctrine. It is necel!lsary for man to be tempted and tried in every way conceivable, in order for him to prove himself, and overcome every snare, device, and stumbling-block of sat.'tn, to fit him for a higher state of happiness hereafter. You know the Scriptures teach that'Satan's deVICes may appear as an Angel of Light; for instance, a false doctrine being revealed :to a prophet who gives it to the church as if it 'came from God. When the devices of Satan do appear in this way; every man who is not living sufficiently humble to have a good portion of God's Sririt to detect the error, is led into believing it: and it is justice in God s wisdom that he should be thus led, because of his not living as he should live so as to have more of the Holy Ghost.

Now you have thought that because Brother Joseph was given a gift to translate the Book, that he could not fall into error; and you worship and give credit to tlte mau, when all the credit is due to God. You should think of this matter. Brother Joseph did not write a word of the Book of Mormon; it was already written by holy men of God who dwelt upon this land. God gave to Brother Joseph the gift to see the sentences in English, when he looked into the hat in which was placed the stone. Oliver Cowdery had the same gift at one time. Now when we look at it arigHt, the fact of Brother Joseph having the gift to translate the Book, is that any reason why you should' put any more trust in him than l1JlY other man? Not at all. Is that .any reason why he should be a man who could not fall? Not at all. As you see from what the LOl'd told him, he was a very weak man, and liable to fall even wh ile translating the Book. "How oft Itave yMI trans-gre.~8ed tlte c01li1llandmcnb: and tlte la1lJs uf God, and have gone on £n tlte fers1lasions (~f men. * * * If lliou art not a1lJllre tllO?t wilt fall. . * * Tltou Itast su.tfered llte cou.nsel of thy Director to be trampled 'ulJon from tlte bl'g1·lInillg. * * * Tltuu 1IJilt again be called to tlte 'LOork; and except tlion do lItis (repent) tltou sltalt be delirered up and ,become as otlter '/lien. ({ud have no rl101'e g~(t." (To translate.) I give

. you my testimony that the Lord had to chastise Brothel' Joseph time 'and .again, as a father would a disobedient child, to help him through 'the translation of the Book. God knows that I do not mean to perse'Cute Brother Joseph. As I have said, I loved him. I am not crying hirudown or preaching self-righteousness, but I desire to get you to o()ompl'ohcnd the sin of trusting in an arm of flesh, by receiving Brother

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J'oseph's revelations ~ if they were from God's own mouth, when some of his revelations conflict with the teachings of Christ in the two sacred boob. I tell you brethren, you are trusting in an arm of flesh. and buing in bli'ndness you cannot see it.

I will now pass over a recit~l of the errors which came into the ehurch by revelation from time to time, and sveak of them hereafter. J desire to speak here on the subject of polygamy. A few years ago I had doubts m regard to Brother Joseph's connection with the Spiritual Wife doctrine, but I have recently seen Vol. I, No.1, of the old Latt~r Day Saints Hemld, which has settled this matter in my mind. '1'he great majority of the Reorganized Church do not believe that' Brother Joseph received the revelation on polygamy. I will say to them, that on their account it is with reluctance that I speak upon this sub .... ject; bnt on account of the honest in heart who have not yet read and believed the Book of Mormon, it is not with reluctance that I speak of it. I believe that this matter of polygamy is to-day the great stumblingblock to many who wotMd accept the Book of Mormon, but they cannot understand how the Book could be true, if Joseph Smith received that revelation on polygamy. The fact cannot be .denied that the world (with very few exceptions outside of the Reorganized Church) believeS'. firmly that Brother Joseph received that revelation, or that he taught and practiced polygamy near the close of his life in Nmlvoo. Now .. on account. of honest enquirers as to the truth of thc Book of' Mormon, it is necessary that I speak upon this matter. I nm constantly receiving letters of inquiry as to my belief and knowledge concerning the question of polygamy. I have also another important reason for ~ speaking upon this subject: There are false doctrines. of importance in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and I desire to prove them false doctrines, and get you to lay them aside and believe only what Ohrist tittught and meant for us to believe. This was Christ's mission into the world. It is the mission of all the servants of God; to !'Oot ont all false doctrine and error. So do not think th3t I Ine1m to persecnte you, or that I 'am striving for the mastery. .

If Brother Joseph rcceived the revelation on polygamy and gave it to the church, the book of Doctrine and Qove-.ants must be It"id down, because the commandment is, "His word ye shall receive ns if from mine (God's) own mouth." 'fhen YOll mllst receive the revelation on' polygamy, or else you mnst lay aside the Doctrine nnf1 Covenants:

For his word (all of his word) ye .~ltltll receive as if from God's own mouth. . .

I now have as much evidence to believe that Brother Joseph received the revelation on polygamy snd gave it to the church, as I have tfJo believe that such a man as George Washington ever lived. 1 never sa'" General Washington, but from reliable testimony I believe that he did live. .

I have the evidence regarding this revelation, that is recorded ill Vol. 1, No.1, Latter Day Saints' Herald; being evidence from your own side, which you are bound to accept. It is the evidence of some of the leaderB of the Reorganization in the beginning, some of whom were with Brother Joseph ill Nauvoo np to the time of his death. These articles appeared in the first number that was ever printed of the

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\

Saints' Herald. Th,is humber of thc Herald is vel'Y scarce now: they seem to have been hid away and destroved. I sec that when the Reor'ganized Church was established, the -fact that JOl'eph received this revelation was then known and acknowledged in editorials in the Herald. The reason w.hy these articles were written in the Herald, was to explain why the Reorganized Church rejected the revelation received by Brother Joseph on polygamy, and to explain that he repented of his connection with polygamy just previous to his death.

As time rolled on, many of the ReOl'ganization saw that to continue to acknowledge that Brother Joseph received this revelation, would bring bitter persecution upon themselvC!l, as the public feeling, at that time, was very bitter. Will God approve of a church being built up upon repr~sentations of the innocence of Joseph Smith regarding yolygamy, if he is not innocent in the matter? Nay, verily! And I tel you that the efforts of the Heorganized Church in this regard have riot been a.cceptable unto God! He does nGt want any truth covered up. 'I'he inspired writefil did not try to hide the polygamy of David and Solomon. Their transgressions do not make the Psalms and Proverbs untrue, neither do the errors of Joseph make the Book of Mormon untrue. God does not want anyone in the church whose faith is so weak that he stumbles because of the transgressions of (my man or men. (~ur faith a.nd trust ~ust be in (lod, and not in any man! I hope yon understand this. It is the secret of your trouble. All of you who believe the revelations of Joseph Smith as if they were from the mouth of God. You should have acknowledged belief III the errors of Joseph Smith, and not tried to hide them when there is so much evidence that he did go into error and blindness; you should have explained by thet-;criptures how that tnany of the prophets of old did tho same thing, but that this does not tna.ke the Book of Mormon untrue, There isabnndunt s(~ript1ll'0 to make this question very clear to any ono. The leadcl's of the Re01'ganized Church, after a tmlC, begun to suppress their opin ions concerning this matter. They would answer the question when askc(l abo11t it, "J do not know 1o/tetl,el' Joseph Smith l'ecei1'etl tliat 1'ere/alion UI' 1/ot." 'I'his was a truthful but evasive answer, as it was not a IlllLttcr of knowledge, except with a few. All, or nearly all, of the pionl'ers of the Reorgan" ization wbo were living in Nauvoo in 1843 and 1RH have now passed away, and you sec what time has done in this regard. To-day nearly all of the Reorganization do not believe that Brother ,loHeph received that revelation on polyglLmy, or ever had any connection whatevCl' with the uoctriue of polygamy, openly and firmly denying this fact; some through ignorance, and some wlJO should not be so ignorant abont this matter. They charge it all to Brigham Young. Now, all honest men will understand, after they have read this pamphlet through, that I am doing God's will in bringiug the truth to light concerning the errors of Brother Joseph. They will see that it is neeeslin.r.y, us he is the man Who introduced many doctrines of error into the Church of Christ; and his errors must be matle mUlliicst a1Hl the truth brought to li~ht, in order that all Latter Day Saints shall cease to put their trust m this man, believing his doctrines as if they were from the month of God.

I quote from Volume 1, Nnmbm: 1, of Tlte True Latlfw Day Saints' He1'ald, page 24, from an article written by ISlLac Sheen, who was 0. leader

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in establishing the ileorganization. i, The Bait Lake apostles also "e~cuse themselves by saying that Joseph Smith taught the spiritual "wife doctrine, but this excuse is as weak 88 their excuse concerning "the ancient kings and patriarchs. Joseplt Smitlt repented of his conH nedion with tltis doctrine, and said tltat it toas of tlte devil. He caused .' tlte re-velation on tltat su~iect to be burned, and when he voluntarily came "to Nauvoo and resigned himself into the arms of his enemies, he said " tltat Ite was going to Gm·t1tage to die. At that time he also said that, if it "Itad not h~en for tlwt accursed spi1'itual wife doctrine, lw would not "ltave come to Utat. By his conduct at that time he proved the "sincerity of his repentance, and of his profession as a prophet. If "Ahraltam and Jacob by repentance can obtain salvation and exaltation, "so can Joseplt . Smith." Here we have Isaac Sheen's testimony as follows: That Joseph Smith did have connection with this spiritual wife doctrine; that he repented of it just before his death, having come to the conclusion that the revelation was not of God, but was of the devil; and he caused the revelation to be burned. Brother Sheen does not state how long Brother Joseph had connection with this doctrine, but of course we suppose from the time the revelation was given, July 12, 1843, until the time of his repentance just before his death, in June, 1844; at which time he concluded that the revelation was not of God, but was of the devil, and caused it to be burned, voluntarily giving himself up to his enemies, saying he was going to Carthage to dIe. . .

I will now quote from the same number of the Herald, page 8. It is an editorial, being the second article in the first number of the paper. ,. 'fhis adulterous spirit (polygamy) had captivated their hearts "and they desired a license from God to lead away captive the fair "daughters of His people, and in this state of mind tltey came to tile "Prop/let .Joseplt (not Brigham Young). Oould the Lord do anything "more or less than what Ezekiel hath prophesied (answer a ;prophet "according to his iniquity). 'fhe Lord hath declared by EzekIel what " kind of an answer he would give them, therefore he answered them "according to the multitude of their idols; (giving them an answer « through Joseph - the revelation on polygamy; and Joseph gave the "revelation to them - the church). . Paul had also prophesied that for "this cause' God shall send them strong delusion, that they shall believe "a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but ,I

H had pleasure in unrighteousness.' Both these prophecies agree. In ~ " Ezekiel's proyhecy the Lord also says, 'I wilt set my face against that H man, and wiI make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off tc from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. H And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the (( Lord have deceived that prophet (or, allowed the prophet to be <1eceived .. because of his iniquity'--:W), and I will stretch out my hand upon him H and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. And they "shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the punishment of the ~'l}l:ophet shdoll be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto H him; that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me; neither J ~'be polluted any more with all theil' transgressions; but that ther may ~ ~f be my people; Qnd I may be their Ood, saith the Lord God. We

40 jj www.LatterDayTruth.org

ti bave here the facts as they have trnh3pirecl, and a8 I hey wiii contlntie to " transpire in relation to this subject. 'rhe death of the proph<lt is onc "fact that haa been realized; altltOuglt lIe ablt01-red and repented of tltis " iniquity before his death." .

Here we have alSll the testimony of the editor of the Herald. On page 22, in the same number of the Herald, is an urticle of likE!

testimony, by Wm. Marks, who, as he states in his m'ticle, was Presiding Elder at Nauvoo in 1844, when Brother Joseph was killeu, and W1lS

with Brother Joseph up to his death. His testimony is the same as that given in the two foregoing articles.

He states that Brother Joseph said to him j'lSt before !tis deat/t, concern~ ing polygamy as follows: "He (Joseph) said it eventually would prove "the overthrow of the church, and we should soon be obliged to leave ic the United States unless it could be speedily put down. He was satis"tied that it was a cur.aed doctrine, and that there must be every exer"tion made to put it down, etc."

The reader will please notice this fact in regard to Wm. Marks'statement; and that is tlte time when Brotller Joseph told him that polygamy must be put down in the church. Tile time when Brother Joseph said this to Wm. Marks, was just before his (Joseph's) deatIl. \ Polygamy had then been in the church almost a year, and it was just before his death that Brother Joseph saw that polygamy was a cursed doctrine, and repented of his connection with that doctrine - believing then that the revelation was not of God, but was of the devil-and he then caused thc revelation to be burned.

The foregoing evidence is' sufficient to convince anyone that Brother Joseph receivcd the revelation on polygamy; that he gave the doctrine to the chnrch; that he had connection with this spiritudl wife doctrine himself; and afterwards became convinced that this revelation was of the devil, and repented of this iniquity just before his death.

Now brethren of the Reorganization, you must accept this r(l~ elation on polygamy, or else you must lay aside the book of Doc.tl"ine aJllI Cov· enants; for the commandment is, His word ye shull receive as if from God's own mouth. Words would not come froll1 God to practice polygamy, and after his people had practiced it for some time, then the word c.ome that the revelation was of the Devil, and to repen t of it. So we S(le that the commandment to receive Brothel' Joseph's words as if from God's own month was false. Now, this commandment is in the revelation given April 6, 1830, thc revelation for Brother Joseph to be ordaillcd Seer to the Ch~rch. Now, can you not see that this revelution for Brothel' Joseph to be ordained Seer to the Church was false? Of conr~e it was. There is no doubt about it. " Some revelutions are of GOII; t-Iome rHelatio1l8 "are of man; and some revelations are of the Devil." This is what God gave us through the stone in 182!l as I have before stated, for a warning to U8 all. The revelation given through Brothel' Joseph ILll nlouthpie('e on April 6, 1830, that ho shonld be ordained Seer to tho Church. after God had commanded him that He woulC] grant him no othor gift bnt 10 translate the Book of Mormon, I give you my testimony brethren that this revelation is not of God, I

Now. how can yon place full copfidence in the revelations in the book of Doctrine and Covenants?

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Why, oh! why is it that you will continue to trust in an arm of flesh? Why will you cling to Joseph Smith, who was only a man, and believe all his revelations as if they were from God's own' mouth? Joseph Smith cannot save yon in eternity! Cease to trust in him or in any other man; turn away from man entirely, and do not consider any man, but look to Goa and to his writtcn word, for BY IT shall you be judged at the last day, Rnd not by the book of Doctrinc and. Covenants.

If Christ d i(l not mean for Brother Joseph to Le ordained a Seer to the church, it is a most seriolls errol'. If Christ did not mean for three first presidents to be ordained in his church, it is a most seriolls enol' to have ordained them. If Christ did 1I0t mean for high priests to be ordained in his church, it is a most serious errol' to have ordained them. If Christ did not mean for the doctrinc of "baptism for thQ dcad" to be an oruimmce in his ehurrh, it is a seriOllS error.· If you are in errol' concerning the" gathcl'ing" a\)(l building the city New Jerusalem, it is a serious errol'. If Christ did not mean for them to change the name which he gave the church in 1829, it is a serious error; and likewise other errors taught in the book of Doctrine and Oovenants; as the doctrine of revenge- cursing one's enemies in the name of the Lord; etc. For the Salt Lake church, I will also add, the doctrine of polygamy and other doctrines which arc not to be fonnd in the teachings of Christ. So you see that if yon are in error in taking the book of Doctrine and Covenants as the law of God to the church, you are in many grave and serious erl'Ol's. 1'he object of this epistle is to show you that you are in serious errol' in taking that book as a law of God to the church; ftnd that GOlI's law if; all eontained in the written woru - the Bible alld the Book of Mormon.

Couecrning' the matter, if Joseph Smith received the revelation on polygamy, how can the Book of Mormon be true? I must say that all who stumble because of the errors of Joseph Smith, are weak indeed. It is on thi;; account, and on aceount of the transgressions of some who have believed the Book of Mormon, that the world will not· reau au!l investigate as to the tl'Uth of that book, which claims to be the wort.! of God to this generation. All those who reject it on this account should also reject the Psalms and Proyorbs, because of David and Solomon's connection with polygamy. In the first place. the revelation on polygamy did not come by thc same means as did the Book of M~rmQn. rhe Book of :Mormon was translated f!'Om golden plates by the gift and l)OWel' of GOlI, by means prepared of Gou - the stone of which I have Rpoken. Soon aftel' Brothel' Joseph finished the translation, he gave up the stone, and all his revelations aftcr that - including the one on polygamy- he gave hy his own month. The I'evelation on polygamy was given fonrteen years after the translation of the Book of Mormon, and after Brother Joseph had drifted into error allu blinuness. As I have stated, the scriptnres al'e plain concerning the matter of a prophet or any man '(mce chosen of God, being afterwards deceived and led into e\'\'or.

When a prophet, or any other man, prays to God and asks wisdom 'COncerning a matter, his conscience will reveal an answer to him just :according w the desires of his heart, If his desires are in any way carnat, he being deceived, an answer will be revealed to him accordmgly; nnd he will think it is the revealed will of God. Satan reveals his will

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· to a man, mixed with much tr.uth and scripture in order to Ileceive him. and makes it appear as an Angel of Light. (t Corinthians 'xi: 14.,) "And no marvel; jin' Batlln Itimt>e{/ i~ truns/onlted -into an Angelo/ Ligltt." This is a mystery to a great mallY people, but only to those who are weak and have lIeed of milk that they may grow in s;piritual knowledge to lII](lenltand the word of God. It is Satal: who cleceI\'es the man, bllt (;0(1 perlilits it l,cl'all;'e of the wiek!'!\ d('.-;il'{,s of the mall, and it i" right awl jll>,ic(' ill (f(lIl"'! wi~d'.lll to permit, the persistent transgre8S01' to lw led 01. Hllll decein'cl hy a ddl1::;ivc fabe doctrine. Paul, in 2 The,<,;. ii: I I. say,;: "1\n<1 fllr thi~ cam:e {;0<1 shall s(,lIcl thl'lIl strol1gde"lusioll. that tlley shonltl bl~li"re a lie." Why would God do this? V(,l'scs]O tImll:! gin' the ]'('U';OIl whr; "bCCHII);e they recl'ivcd not the "loye of the tl'l1tll." * * * lJccansetll('Y "helievedllot the tl'llth, but "had pleasure ill IIlll'ighte()nsl1e8~." III haiah Ixvi: 2-4. the Lord says: " liu t to this mall will 1 look. even to him that is poor anel of It contrite "spirit., and trl'llllJJeth al~"Jl1y woru." liut to the peoplo who" have "('hosen tlwil' own waYR. alld their soul delighteth in thei,' abomina"tiom; (polygamy), I will also choose theil' delusions." In Ezekiel xiv:4-!l w,e read: "Thus saith the Lord Goel; every man of the house "of Isnwl that settct.h up his idols in his heart, and pntteth the stum" bling-bloek of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, "I, the LOI'U, will answer him that cometh according to the multItude "of his idols; that I may take the house of Israel in their OWll heart."

I3rother Joseph must have set lip his idol in his heart, or he would not have praY('d to the Lonl to know wherein David and Solomon were justified in })olygamy, when Gou f'ays in the Book of Mormon that they were not jU!:ltified in it ; that it was abominable before Him. David, Solomon, Saul. anu many chosen men of God,. afterwards drifted into error and lost the spi"it of God, and why not Joseph Smith? Will you ,answl'r: Was not Joseph Rmith a man subject tolike passions? Had you been with him as much as I was, and knew him as I knew him, you would also kllow that he could fall into error and transgression: but with all his weaknesses, I always did love 111m. No man was ever perfect bu t Christ. U r.r.iah fell into the sllare of Satan, through pride, after sCI'ving God ill humility for fifty. two yearf', (2. ehron. xxvi). "I have "secn folly in the prophets of Samaria." (J er. xxiii: 13). "I have seen "ill thc prophets It horrible thing," (Jer. xxiii: 14). "The prophets "prophesy falfely," (Jer. v: 31). ," FOI' the sins of her prophets, and "the iniqnitim; of her priests." (Lam. iv: 13). "Thus salth the Lord, "woe unto the foolish prophets," (Ezek. xiii: 3). There were many prophcts and choscn mcn of God, who afterwards fell into error, anll who lost the Spirit of God, alld produced false IIl'ophecies and revplatiollS ill the name of the Lord. Why should allY one reflll)e to inveRtigate as to the trut h,of the Book of }formon, because Joseph Smith' went into error nfLer being called of God to translate it? Kind reader. think of this, and beware how yon ha8tily condpmn that book which I know to be the word of God; for his own voice and an angel from heaven declared the truth of it unto me, and to two other witnesses who testified on their death-bed that it was trne. You say that angels do not appear unto men in these days, but the Word of G()(l says: "Are "they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who

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"shall be heirs of salvation ?" (Heb. i: 14.) There are now heirs of salvation upon earth, and I tell you of a truth that angels do minister unto them in these days. I hope the reader now understands this matter, viz: that no one who is seeking for truth honestly and without prejudice, will refuse to in~stigate the Book of. Mormon Qecause of Joseph Smith's errors. The teachin~s of the Book of Mormon are pure and holy, for it is the religion of ChrIst, set forth in plainness and simplicity.

I desire to say a few words especially to the Latter Day Saints who believe in the doctrine of polygamy. Why it is that you can put your trust in a man, and believe a revelation of his that contradicts the Word of God in the Book of Mormon, is very strange indeed. The revelation on polygamy begins thus: " Verily, thus saith the JJord unto "yop my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as yon have inquired of my "hand, to know wherein I the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, "Isaac and Jacob; as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as "touching the principle and doctrine of their having mtLllY wives and con"cubines: ......... I will anS;7er thee as touching this matter." The Book of Mormon says (Jacob ii: 6): "David and Solomon truly had many wives "and concubines,. which thing was AI30~JlN ABLE before me, saith the "Lord." Then David and Solomon's polygamy was a great sin and an abomination before God. Joseph Smi·th's revelation says that it was -NOT a sin, for it says that God JUSTIFIED David and Solomon in it!

So yon see that revelation is It plain, contradiction of thc Word of God in the Book of Mormon. 'fhis is plaiil. enough for anyone to see and understand. Uan JOu not see that this rllYelation is not of God ? Why, oh why arc you trusting in an arm of flesh?- Again, the Book of Mormon says (pag-e 116, Jacob ii:6). "Hearken to the word of the Lord: "for there shall not any man aUJ.ong yon have save it be one wife: and " concubines he shall have none/' In the face 'If this, you are believing in a revelation purporting to come from God, that lIe hall changed and allowed his peo:p'le to practice w hat He says is a sin and an abomination in his sig1d! Verdy, you know not God nor his ways! Again, did Christ teach that a man IS exalted to the highest glory hel'cnfter through the r.rinciplc of polygamy? Nay. 'fhe Book of Morman says (1 NeJ?hi lii:43), that all men must come to Christ" according to the words WhICh "shall be established by the mouth of (Christ) the Lamb: ann the words "of the Lamb shall be made known in the recol'ds of thy (Nerhi's) seed, H ns well as in the records of the twelve apostles (If the La~b" (the New Testament). The revelations of Joseph Smith do not even claim to be translated from the scaled records of the Nephitcs. This alone should convince you that the rc\-clation on polygamy 1'S 1I0t ~f (for!. The 8Cl'iptures say that if an angel from heaven preach allY other go~pel than that preached by Christ ana his apostle, kt him he acenrscd~·

In the revelation on polyg: •. my, it says that :Ernma Smith- Brother Joseph's wife-must receive the revelation to allow Brother Joseph to have more wives, or she shall be destroyed. But i II less than a year after giving this revelation, Brother Joseph himself was dl·stroyed, alld Emma. lived for many years after. I will quote it: "And let mine handmaid, " Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant "Joseph. ... ... ... ... And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, "to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if

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" she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed." You are blinded and cannot understand the scriptures. Many ]'n'ophets of old were deceived by revelations which they thought were of God, but were of Satan, given to deceive and blind them and the people because of their iniquities. The decrees of God in the Book of Mormon are; that if his people who live upon this land ohey the laws of God and the laws of the land, that they shall live in peace uno prosperity, Hnd their enemies should not have power over them. My soul cries unto you, repent! repent! and go to God in mighty prayer that he may open yonr hearts to see and understand that you are deeeived in believing that the doctrine of polygamy is a revelation from God, I know there :Ire many honest hearts among you, and I pmy to God continually for those, that their eyes may. be opened to understand the truth as it is in Christ.

I

CHAPTER V.

ONE MAN TO LEAD AND RECEIVE REVELATIONS FOR THE CHURCH, NOT ACCORDING TO THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST.

When Christ came into the world, the doctrine of a one-man leader to the church was not taught by him, and we are under his teachings in the written word, In the old covenant in the Book of Mormon is a prophecy that a ., Choice Seer" is lio come forth - of the seed of Joseph, of the seed of. Lehi - who is to 'bring forth the word of the Lard from .the sealed recoras of the Nephites, and convince the Lamanites, and restore them and the house of Israel; his work is not defined any farther than this. We suppose his work will be defined in the records which he will hereafter bring forth. We are told in 2 Nephi ii:17, Ether i:ll, that the sealed records are not to come forth in th3 days of wickedness and abominations of the people. Then the more wicked part of the

_people will be cut off before they are brought forth. It may be as it was when Ch)'ist caUlo to the people on this continent. We are told in Ether i: 11, that the sealed records" shall not go forth unto the Gentiles "until the day that they shaH repent of their iniquity, and become "clean before the Lord," and have faith in him even as the brother of Jared did. Again, it says this" Choice Seer" will do strictly according to the cbmmandments of God. rrhis means that he will be a holy man. We have seen from a revelation given to Brother Joseph, that he broke the commandments of God from the beginning. Now, as the wicked will be cut· off, the people being clean before the Lord, and this Choice Seer bein~ a holy man-,·the people in this condition will be fitted to give heed to hIm, and they will not be led astray by him, because the Word

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of God says so. At the present time we are under the teachings of Christ in the written word, aIlel his teachings to us, the Book of Mormon plainly tells us, arc to ue made known ill the records of the Jews (the Bible), and the Nephite l'Ccords." "All men must come unto him, or they cannot be . saved; AND TIlEY MUS'£ COME ACCORDING TO TIlE WORDS WUICH SHALL BE ESTABLISHED BY THE MOuTH OF TIlE LA~IB: AND TILE WOHDS OF THE LAMB SHALL BE MAD,E KNOWN IN THE RECORDS OF THY SEED (TIlE NEPIlITE !{ECOlWS), AS WELL AS IN THE RECORDS OF TIlE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAilIB (The Bible); wherefore they uoth shall be established in olle." (1 Nephi iii:43.).

All men must eorne to Christ aceordillg to the words which shall be established uy Christ, AND IllS WORDS SHALL BE MADE KNOWN IN TIlE NEPlIITE UECORDS AND TIlE BIBLE. So the book of Doctrine and Covenants mnst be laid down. Brethren, this scripture is very plain, and I hope that none of yon will attempt to wrest it to uphold the book of Doctrine and Covenants. Then let us heed only the teachings of Christ which we have, and lHscard the teachings of Joseph Smith or any other man or angel which conflict with Christ's teachings in the mule and Book of Mormon: and when more of the words of Christ come forth in the way that it is appointed to come, from the sealed records, then we will hecll it also.

Thm'e'is nothing ill the New'£cstamcllt part of either the Bible or Book of. Mormon concerning a one-man leader or heud to the church. Whoever claims that snch an office should Le ill the church to-day, goes beyond the teachings which Chrjst has giren us. As I have stated, we were strictly commalHled ill the beginning to rely upon that which was written; and hc who goes' beyond that which wa~ then written, to the

. revelations of Joseph Smith to establish any order 01' doctrine in the church, must come ulldCl' the head of those whom Christ H[1oke of when he said, "Whosoever teaches more or le';8, etc" is not of lUe." This alone should satisfy anyone who is. not trustillg ill an arm of flesh. Who was "Prophet Seer all(l Hevelator" to the chllrch at .Jerusalem? 'l'hey had nOllc. Who was ., Prophet SecI' all(l Hevelator" to the church upon this land? They had none. AIl(1 we had 110 sHch an otlice ill the church in these last days for the first eight months of its existence, until Brother Joseph wenl into this 01'1'01' Oil April (j, lS:]O, and, after' unwittingly breaking a command of Ood by t~king upon himself such an office, in a few years those l'fwclations were (:hallgcd to admit this high office, which otherwi!?e would have eontlemned it. They were changed to mean something entirely difrercnt from the way' they were' first given and printl'd ill the Book of Commal1dment!!; as If God had not thought of this great and importHllt of1ice when he gave those revelations. Yet in the face of the written word of God. and in the face of all this evidence, thc majority of the Lattor Hay f:iailits will still cling to the revelations of Joseph Smith and measure the W!'ittell word of God by them, instead of metisuring .Joseph Smith and his revelations by the written word. Speaking after the maIllIcr of Paul to the Galatians, 80 say 1 to you: 0 foolish Latter Day Saints * * ... I marvel, that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel; which is not another, but the same

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gospel whlcihlrotne n~vepervettea; ·s.na though. we, or an angel frOTh dleaven, or Joseph Smith, preach any other gospel unto you t}lan that which C1&rist gave us in the beginning, receive it not. (See Gal. i: 6-9).

In tJa.e Caul'cla. <Of 'Christ.at Jm-tlMm, and \\pcNl this land, the memibers au l'OO!eived the revealed. will ;of God fOl" the .... ves, through the 'Van..- 'lifta «\he Holy Gaost:; by -dream$, visiQus, tb~ visitat.ion of ..... .Angels, the ~ft -Of prophecy, thNu.gh themael~ or any brother; avd . ·'the Holy G'h • .u.t was ~8. them -'ways lliecemiag whetl1er the mve~-' 'tion _'Of G(¥i 'Or DOt. They had no· Prophet Seer aDd Re~tor to go -to wa. tbey1leaind to kuow the will of the Lofd eoncend~ them; lthey went te tiM& fArd themse!ws; sometimes a1on~ and sometimes sev .. reml 'Of .111. together in fasting aDd prayer. Of oonree I believe that -God ~ ms will t.0 his servants in these last days, just &8 in days of !Old, bat I o\IIelieve i.u. it accordim,g to the scriptures of divine truth.

IA the Churd. QPon tbe Eastern eootinent, after Christ had as'(lended 1/:.9 His Father's t.hrooe II.lld left the work with his disciples to ooca1'l1 '0R,t.Aey We8.i to God forth(3mselvee, each and all of them 3'eOOlvmg the will of God hy the variolts gifts 6f the Holy Ghost, Paul, Peter, B8.l"nMas, Philip and others went hereand there preachiRg, every 'One ~ivi.ng t'evelations from God for themseh-es, by 'dreams, visions, the tJift GI.. prophecy, etc. They had !ro head of the Churoh 011 earth to ,go to. ()hrist teNd them. that tIM! Holy Ghost~the Comforter-that would. abide witJ.! tkem aud witil aU his disciples, would guide them and lead them. iDte aU trutB a.mi show them things t:o oome. If any man lacks wisdom., and d-esoires to know the, win of the LoTd coneerning him:self, let._ dSk -of GfJ4 for hiDlset1, Rot 8Si: Qf tM Propliet Seer and B.eveJatoro to inqUire el the Lord fur him.

Just after Christ had. ~ished. his 'Ch1lrea upon this land and :ascended. into Maven., there ~were disP'lta.tions among the Nephite brethf'flfl on one i'J0int:; that was the name, by whioh they must call the 'Chuma. "Ole bretilren did not ~ to a Prophet Seer and Bevelat~r to ¥8t hia tie inqpiro ~f the Lord about this matter; Christ had not so tnstnw4le4 them. Tiley had . no such :an <tfficer ia the churoh. They went to God ill pn~r '&'Ad fasting, a.nd received &n.aD8wer to their prayers, and it "'8'11 not through any head QF If!&der flG the church, but !<Jhrist himself. .

Bratln'ell, tlais high office 8.S you have it, i! -of far .. ore importanoe 'than anyCDtAer otlice in tlie chareh. Now· do YOll Dot suppose that if Christ .eant for suclt. aD office to be in the 'Church to-d&y, that full instmctions would have b~n '!dven i~ h~s teauhings about it P A~ Y0.u iknow we 'W'e1'e oorruuanded nil. tire begmtung to rely upon that whICh 18 writteB. ·Sucb. 3l!. <office ill Christ's teachings in.. eIther book is not even m,entioned; bu.t I n~ not rehearse the matter. . I cannot make it any more ~&in. As {have said, you have the scriptures before Y'tu, and if you will wrest th1:lbl it sha.ll ~ to your own ~t~tion. This matter of a oneman MOuthpiece (if God to the chlll'Cb.) has pro\1'en thte gteat 'curse of the work of, God in these last days. It is through this in8lirumetltality that Satan. has maay thousattd souls deluded. A man "'ho was weak Bnd un-1Ita.ble from the time GGd eaAled him, set .ftim~lf up -aaPropket and Seer to the cDu'roh, and the church to !'ecelve hiS words B8 it from God's 'OWD lHuth. S1l0h a. thing is contrary to the Spirit and truths of our

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Lord Jesus Christ. Look at the one hundred and fifty thousand deluded souls in Utah, believing in a revelation given through this. man that we are to' be exalted to tlie highest glory in the world to come, through spiritual wifeism; aliO the twenty thousand or more souls who are blmded to believe in the revelations of this min whb has introduced doctrines into the church that conflict with tJfe written word of qod. As it was in the days of an.cient Israel and in the days of the Apostles, so it is in this day. "Cursed be the man that trusteth in .« man and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from « the Lord.') Jer. xvii: 5.

.' . CHAPTER VI.

THE D~CTRINE OF CHRIST ALL CONTAINED IN THE TWO SACRED BOO.XS.

Some of the Latter Day Saints have claimed that as the Book of Mormon is an abridgement of the Nephite records, it does not contain all the doctrine of Christ, hence the need of the revelations of Joseph Smith. All who make this claim are in error, as Christ himself says, (Nephi ix:ll), that his doctrine is contained in the Book of Mormon. In Breaking of the Book of Mormon ho says, that when these things shal be made known unto the Gentilcs; that they might" know of the "true points of my doctrine." We have also seen in the previous chapter, that the words and doctrine of Christ are to be made known in the Bible and in the N ephite records. Now, brethren, these scriptures are as plain as can be; the'y need no comments of mine to make them llny more plain. The Doctrine and Covenants do not claim to h3ve been translated from the records of. Nephi's seed - the sealed records. This plain scripture should and will be suft'icient to convince any person without prejudice, that ·the Doctrine and Covenauts should be discarded as a law of God to the church. 'l'he doctrine of Christ always was and will be the same. Ttte Book of Mormon tells us that the sealed records yet to come forth will contain great mysteries of things that are to transpire before the end of the world; but this is another thing outside of the gospel or doctrine of Christ. Paul lIays that if an angel from heaven preach any other ~oilpel unto you, let him be accursed. The teachings or doctrine of Christ as set forth in the Book of Mormon are full and plain. Mormon says, "and now there cannot be written in thiS' book even the hun~ "dredth :part of the things which Jesus did truly teach the people." Of COU1'se thiS means all the words that Jesus. taught or spoke to them, including the great mysteries of things to take place in the future, which' my8teries the Lord forbade them to write. John also says of the things which Jesus truly did and taught, "the which, if they should be written

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Ct e-ye-ry one, I suppose that even the world itsefi' could not 'contain th. 4r books that should be written!' (John xxi:25). But is anyone so blind as to understand from this language that the doctrine of Ohrist, or as we use the expression, tM teachings of Ohrist, ure' not contained in full in the Bible and Book of Mormon? No spiritual man would l'IO interpret this scripture. ,

In June, 1829, Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowuery and myself, received this commandment through the stone, " Behold, I give unto you a com· .. , mandmellti, that you rely upon tho things which are written (then, at ." that time, June, 182fl), for in them are all thinga written concerning .. , my church, my gospel, and my rock." This revelation reads this way to-day in the old Book of Commalluments. But the Latter Day rmints ochanged it in 1834 to read different in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. The revelations received through the stone in 1829, agree with the teachings of Christ in the Hible Ulld Book of Mormon; but in order 'to support the errors which ,were afterwards introduced by men, some of the early revelations have been changed and added to, as I will show you in another chapter. In order to uphold these errors, your leaders -claim that as the Book of Mormon is an abridgement of the N ephite :records, containing only u small part of the things which Christ said :and did, that it does not contain nIl the doctrines, laws, ordinances and ~ffices which Ohrist meant to be in the church; therefore Brother Joseph's revelations are nooded to establish other doctrine&, laws, ordinances and .... ~ffices that Christ left out of the Hook of 'Mol'nion anu the Bible, and, out -of the revelations when God til'st gave them in 1829. Oh the weakness and folly Qf man! How a.ny person call be so blind in t.he face of aU this evidence, as to ~tiU uphold the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, is more than I call understand. Hut there are none so' blind as those who win not see.

You have changed the revelations from the way they were first given :and as tooyare to-day in the Hook of Commandments, to support the oerror of Brother JGSeph in taking upon himself the office of Seer to the -church. You have changed the revel~tions W SUppOI·t the errol' of hig!t priests. Yon have changed the revelnti<ms tosl1pport the error of . :a ,Presid<Jnt of the high priesthoo(l, high counselors, etc. You have .altered the Il'(\\"el.a.tions to SllPpGrt you in going ueyonu the plain teachings of Christ in the new covenant part of the Hook of Mormon. You have chal'lgll'd and altered the revelations to support the error of pub-

, fishing those revelations in It book: the' errors you are in) revelations have been changed to"Support and upiotoM them. You who are now living did 110t ch.an~ them, bllt J'O'U who strive to defend these things, are asguitty:ill tOO 8&ght.of G<>d as U~se who did. ,change th-em..

As I hav-e ,stated, I a.m caUoed to bear testimony that the Bible, as 'Well as the BOOtk of }(<QrtnOll, is true: and no one should place the one book ahead -of the other:; tl»oey:are ODe! 'rile Book of Mormoo. tells us that many plain things have been taken from the Bible, so that theGentiles stumble and contend about the true points of Christ's doctrine. It ;say.s tW the Book <>f }l<lmron has been kept pure, and come forth pure 80 as to make plain the doctrine o(!)f ChrIst; tliat we might know of th. true points of his dootrine. '

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Is it not plain that we should rely UPOD it on an doctrinal points, and the order of offices in the church? It certainly is, and this is not placing it ahead of thfl Bible. The Book of Mormon is full and plain on the doctrine of Christ. Christ chose .. twel ve" and called them disciples, or elders (not apostles); and the .. twelve" "ordained elders, priests, and teachers. These are all the spiritual offices in tbe church: that is, tbeofficers who are ordained to officiate in spiritual ordinances; as baptism, laying on of hands for the ~i!t of the Holy Ghost; ordaining otheroffi~ers, administering the Lord s supper, etc. 'l"e office of a Bishop is to administer in temporal things. He is the business man of the church. Tbechurch has a right to ap'p?int officers who act in a temporal capacity; this is outside of the spIritual offices. We see that 'he disciples at Jerusalem appointed temporal officers. Acts vi: 2-3: "Then the twelve called the .. multitude of the disciples unto them, and said: It is not reason that .. we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Wberafore, breth"ren, lookle out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy " Ghost an wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." So they appointed the seven deacons.

"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, sccondarily "prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of htmlings, "helps, governments, diversities of tongues." (1 Cor. xii: 28). The

" Latter Day Saints stulJlble over this passage, and it is strange that they do. Paul is not referring here to an t he officers in the church. The office of an Elder is not named. He refers to miracles, gifts of healing, diversities of tongues, and these are not Qffice.'! in the Chmch. He is referring here to the gifts, as you can see ptainly by reading th~ chapter. He says at the conclusiolllof this, in the thirty-first verse, "But covet earnestly the best gifts." In the New Testament it speaks of evangelists, pastorll~ teachers, helps, governments, etc. Are we to suppose from this, that we are now to establish offices in the Church under those respective names of helps, pastors, governments, etc.? Not at all. These names come to us thus translated. Concerning the spiritual offices in the church, Elders,. Priests and Teachers, with their duties as given in the Book of Mormon,. they comprise the officers who are q,ualified to act in all SPIritUal mat~ers~ and there is no need of any more spIritual offices than these in the church,. as we clln plainly see from the scriptures.

'rhe Book of Mormon is full concerning all spiritual matters pertaining to the Church of Christ. • Instructions are given as to the manner of baptism, laying on of hands, the manner of administering the flesh and blood of Christ; that the church must meet together oft to fagt and to pray and to speak concerning the welfare of their souls; how the meet-ing should be conducted; how a back-sliding m_ember is to be tried, be- -4

fore the Elders by the testimony of three witnesses, and if they repented not, they were to be cut off, etc., etc. It is an set forth therein in plainness, and we have no. need of the Doctrine and Covenants or any other creed.

The twelve at Jerusalem are called in the written word" Apostles." They are apostles because they were special witnesses to the sufferings

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uf Christ, His death, burial and resulTection: but the twelve which (Jhrist chose on this land are called disciples or e,ders, and are not once -called apostles in the Book of Mormon. In the revelation which came .through the stone -in June, 1829, to OlivElr Cowdery and myself to -26arch out the twelve, they are also called disciples, and not apostles; .and the re~lation says" disciples" in the Book of Commandants to-day. But- it has been changed in the Doctriue and Covenants to read "apos'1;les." The heading to this revelation in the Book ofCopImandments says: ~'Making known the calling of 'twelve' Disciples' in these last days." In the Doctrines and Covenants it reads: " Making known the calling ~'of twel~ 'Apostles' ~n these last days." In 1 Nephi iii: 26, where ;reference is made to the t~lveat Jernsalem and the twelve upon this land, <each twelve are <:alled by"their respective names: H Behold the twelve « 'Disciples' of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed . .. And he (the angel) said unto me. thou remembereth the twelve' Apos~'tles' of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve ~'tribes of Israel: wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be H judged of them. ". The twelve on this land are called ~isciples, and not in any place are they called apostles. When Christ was teaching :the twelve on this land, in giving them instructions He refers to the way His twelv~ apostles did at Jerusalem in the laying on of hands, saying to them: "For thus do 'mine apostles."

-In 1 Cor. xii: 28, it says: "And God hath set some in the' church, ·H first apostles, -secondarily prophets," etc. He did so, placing the twelve apostles first, whiclt he <:hose at Jerusalem: they are to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, and they are to judge the twelve disciples whom Christ chose oli this land among the Nephites. Therefore, we see from the w.ritten word that there is only one twelve who are called apostles, and that they are placed first.

Wilen it IS God's own due time to gather up the scattered fragments 'Of his kingdom which has been laid waste by men, then we suppose that God will place at the head of his church twelve disciples; but we of the Church of Ch.rist will not place them there, unless God so commands us. This is God's work and not man's work. We do not believe in twelve man-made disciples.

I consider the Book of Doctrine and Covenants a creed of religious faith. You can see from the first edition (Kirtland, 1835) that men, on the authority of other men, and no authority from God, "arranged the' items of the doctrine of Jesus Christ" in that book, and in August, 1835, adopted it as the doctrine and coventtnts of their faith by a unanimous vote of the high council, thus making it a law to the church for the first time. To these procecdi~gs I objected from the first, as I also -did to changing the name of the church. Why should they not have been satisfied with the way that God has arranged th~ items of his doc- . trine in his Holy Word? Wh.at authority had they for making a creed? I will quote from the Kirtlallli .()(lition of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants of 183i>, and you. cal\see for yourselves that what I say is correct. Quotation from the prebCt!: "We deem it to be unnecessary to ... entertain you with a lengthy preface to the following volume, but .. , merely to say that jt~tains in short the leading items of the religion

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"which we. Ilave pro{ess~d to believe. The j[~Bt par.t of the· book wi;~ bel "found to COll tam a !lerles of lectures as deh vered before' a theologICal "class in this place, and. in conseqncDCe of their ~mbr8ci,ng the import"ant doctrine of salvation, we have arranged them illto the following "work. ... '" ... There ma.y be an aversion r,n tbe minds 01. some' "against receiving anything purporting to be artialeS' of feligious faith, "in consequence of there being so many CHE:EDS no,", extant; bqt if "men believe a system and profess that. it wali given by inspiration, cer"tainly the more intelligibly they can present it the betteT. lit...... We "have, therefore, end~avored to present, thollgh -in few words, OUR be"lief, and, when we say this, humbly trust the-faith and principles of ·"this society as a body."

Where is their authority from God for makillg this creed, and making it a law to the church? I will now quote from pagcs 255 and 256 of the lIame book: "'l'he assembly being duly organized, and, after transacting "certain business of the church, proceeded to appoint a committee tl) H ARRANGE THE ITEMS OF DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST. ... lit... These; "items are to be taken from the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the. revelat< tions which have been given to said church npto its da.,te, {Yl' shall be until "such arrangement is made. * * lit WllOrcupon the High (Jonncil of "Kirtland accepted and acknowledged them as the doctril1& and cov"enal1ts of their faith by a unanimous vote." It was here _made a law to the church for the first time. So we see that th~ir whole proceediugs were upon their own authority-upon the authority of men and not God. Also, that the Doctrine and Covenants is 3. creed, as much so as any sectarian creed.

Sotne of the Latter pay Saints claim tbat tbe Doctrine and Covenante is one of the Books spoken of in Nephi's vision, which he saw taken to the Lamanites from the Gentiles. (1 Nephi iii:42.) How I\,nyone can so interpret that scripture is more than I can tmdel'stand ; because it says on the !lame page, that those" Books" (records) contained the words that Christ spake un'tO' the Nephites, which words should be hid up, to come forth to the Gentiles, after the Nephites lJad dwindled in unbelief. Nephi saw'" other Books" taken to the Lamallites, after the Bible was taken to them, ~The Book of Mormon is one of those books, but the other is yet to come forth from the Ncphite records, which are yet hid up and sealed. It is to corne to the Gentiles, and they will carry it and the Book of Mormon to the Lamanites, to the convincing of the Gentiles, the Lamanites .and the Jews. Now, how is it that anl.0ne can claim the Doctrine and Covenants as being one of tIlOse "Books'? The Book of Doctrine and Covenants itself docs not claim to be the words of the N ephite record wh1ch are hid up. '1'he Book of Mormon was translated from those records, and more IS yet to be translated from them, but it will not come furth in the days of wickedness \2 Nephi xi: 17. Ether i : 11}. I will quote the scripture relating to the "other Books" which Nephi saw in his vision. It is very plain. (1 Nephi iii: 41- 42). The angel, talking to N cphi, says: "Behold, saith the Lamb, I " will manifest myself unto thy sccd (the Nephites), that they shall write " many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain " and preeions; and after thy seed shall be destroyed and dwindle in

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u unbelief,' and also the seed of thy brethren·; behold, these.thingsshal1· H be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the ~ift· and power of &l the Lamb; and in them shall be written my gospel,!sa1th ~he Lamb, and H my rock and my salvation; ... ... ... "', (same page) ~nd it c~e to u pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my prethren (the Le.mH anites), and, also the Book,of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded U forth lrom the mouth of the Jew (the' Bible), that it came forth from u the Gentiles, unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren; and after H it had come forth unto them (the Lamanites), I beheld OTHER BOOKS, &( which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto H them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles, !Lnd the remnant of the " seed of my brethren, and also the Jewll,who were scattered upon all the H face of the earth," etc.

Now brethren, words cannot be plainer than.this scripture, and it shows thut the Book of Doctrine and Oovenants is not one of those books. It is stra.nge to me, why the heads of your church will attempt to prove that the Book of Doctrine and Oovenants is one of those books here spoken of, &i they are to come from sealed records which are yet hid up.

OHAPTER VII. .. RELATIVE TO PUBLISHING THE REVELATIOn.

Publishing the early revelations, or any of them, was c()lltrary to the will of the Lord, as I will show you from the revelations themselves. The revelations in the Book of Oommnadments up to June, 1829, were given through the" stone," through which the Book of Mormon was translated. These are the only revelations that can be relied upon, and they are not law. '1'he Lord.toM 11S not to teach them for doctrine; they were given mostly to individuals, the persons whom God chose in commencing His work fo.r their individual lDstruction, and the church had no need of them. They should have been kept with the' Ii8Cred papers and recordll of the church, and never publiShed in a .book to .become public property for the eyes of the world. It was not necellsary for the whole church to ever see them. The written word is full on all matters pertaining to the Church of Chriit. Of course I believe i-9- God revealing His will to His servants in these days, by the various gifts of the Holy Ghost; but I believe in it according to the Scriptures. In the revelations themselves are positive commands to keep these things from the world, that they are sacred, etc. A revelation was ~iven to Oliver Oowdery in April, 182~, (Sec. v: 11,13), in which he 1S told that he would be granted a. gIft" to translate even as. my servant Joseph,"

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W'arni'ng him as fonows: "Rememoer, ft IS sacred', ana cometh. fromll " above." ... ... ... ... H 'I'rifle not with sacred things." ... ... • ... H Make not thy gift known untO' any, save it be those who are o.f thY' "faith. J> But they publilibed theBe ib~a.g1J m III hook., IIDd made them known to the world!

In a revelation to> Martin HsrrifJ (see. 18) eORCeTmRg ell/ness punishment, are these words: "And I command YOll that YOll flrea.eh .aught: "but repentance 1 and show Dot t.hese things,. neither spealt these things; "unto the worldT for they cannot bear meat,. but mHk, ,bey must re'( ceive: wherefore, they must not knO'w these th~ngs~ h3st they perish.'" This 'revelation reads as I have quoted it,. hr. the &ok M Con.mand· ments; but in the Doctrine and {Jovenants: it bail 'been changed to> rea&" thus:. " Show not these things untO' th~ w9rldT ll'I'ltii it is· wisdQJRI in me.'Y The words, II until it is wisdom in me/" .ere' added to this ,evelation_ You see they had to add ihese' words m orde, to' pu bNsro the reTelaiions_ J'udge for yourselves, brethren::I will Ulllksllo>iarthereomment.s to magnify the errors of the leaderlf of the ehurcb. My policy ~hl'&ugbOQ~ wil~ be to speak of no mOTe of their e1"1'01"8- than i8 necessar,,.. in order'1I& prove< all false doctrines as being false! and establishing 1Ihe- doctrme' ef C.hrist· as it is set forth in the written word.

The main reason why the printing press .as aestroyed .. W8& beeause·· they published the Book of Commandmentg. It ien intO' ilia !moos of! the world, and the people of Jackson county, MisBollriT flaw from the. rQvelations that they "'er~ considered by the church 118 intrnden UpOD'. the land of Zion, as enemies' to the chm·ch,. and '6bat they shOU'ld be cu t;. off out of the land of ZIOn anel sent sway. 'l'he pcoj>lc seeing these' things in the Book of Commandments· became the' more enraged, tore: down the printing press, and dl'OV6 the ehurcli out of' JackS01' county .. (See Doc .. and Cov" Sections 52 : 9, 64: 1, 4& : . .15.)' "Which is the land< H of your inheritance. Which is now th8' laml of yonr enemies.''''' "And th~ rebelli~J\ls shall ·be cu~ off out O'f the him} of Ziol1, and sham "be sent away, and shall not inherit the land." "Aad now 1 say unt{)l' "you, kee.v th~se things from going abroa.d nnt~ the w?rld, until it. .. Iii expedIent m me, that ye may accomplIsb thIS WOl·}t tIt the eyes of "the people', and in the eyes of yout ellemie&, that they may Rot know' "your works nntil ye have accompliahed the thing which I have com., "manded you.'" 'I'his is sufficient. I will quote no nlore to show yOU! that the' teaders made fC mistake m' pn blishing the revelations in _. book. 1t i's toll' plain.

Brethrenl doelt it not loo'k 8tra;l~ge tbat tbey shonld have been Sl)'

blind as to go ahead and pH blislr tIlt'se l'cvelatKJ'TtS ill the illC6 of this. plain language to keep thellQ thi.ngs from the world? It lurely does look strange.. .

I will noW tell YOlT of a pto>phcey which the Lord gavetbrongh me t& Brothers Jose1?h 8mith and ~yd1-1~ Rigdon, of what Ilhould COOle too pass if they prmted thoS'e teve'lutions, In tho spring olll:l32, in Hiram,. Ohio, Brothers Joseph and SydllO)'; and others, concluded that the revelations should be printed in a book. A few of the 1i>rethreu - including myself -:- objected to it seri9usly. We told them th~t if the revelations we~~ pubhshed l the world would get the books, and It would not do; that It was not the will of the Lord that the revelations should be pnbliahed~

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But Brothers Joseph and Sydney would not listcn to us, a.nd .said ~tbe.Y.' were going to send them to Independence to be published. IobjecteiJ to it and withstood Brothers Joseph alld Sydney to the face. Brother Joseph said as follows: "Any man who objects to having these revel. " tions fU bUshed, shall have his part taken out of th~ Tree of Life and " out 0 the Holy City." 'fhe Spirit of God came upon me and I prophesied to them. in the name of the Lord: "That if they sent those .. revelations to Independence to be published in a book, the people would " come upon them and tear down the r,rinting press, alid' the church " would be driven out of Jackson county.' Brothers Joseph and'Sydney laugheG. at me. Early in the spring of 1833, at Independence, Mo., the revelations were printed·in the Book of Commandments. Many of the books were finished aneJ. distributed among-·thf,J members of the church, and through some of the unwise brethren, the world got hold of some of them. From that time the ill-feeling toward us began to increase; aud in the.summer of 1833 the mob came upon us, tore down the printing press, 'and drove the church out of Jack~n, countl' Brothers Joseph and Sydney then saw that I did have· some of the SpIrit of God, .fter my prorhecy had been fulfilled. To show. you that Brother Joseph ana myself stil loved each other as brethren biter this, I will tell you that he had so much C{>nfidence in me that in July, 1834, he ordaine~me his suc'.. cessor as itProphet Seer and Revelator" to the Ohurch~ He d.id this of his own free will and not at anv solicitation whatever I)n my part. I did llot know what he was going to do until he laid his hands upon me and ordained me. •

Now, bear in mind, brethren, that I am not claiming this office; a~ I have told yon, I do not believe in any such an office in the church. I was then' in error in believing that there was such an office in'the Church of Christ. I suppose this is news to many.f you-that Brother Joseph ordained me his successor - but it is in your. records, and theTe are men now liVing who were present in that council of elders when he did it, in the camp of Zion, on ~ishing River, Missouri, July, 1834.

This is why many of the brethren came to me after Brother Joseph was killed, and importuned me to come obt and lead the church. I refused to do so. Ohrist is the only leader and head of his church.

Now. brethren, ,r will ask you to read the early revelations that were given through the stone, up to June, 1829, and see if this matter is not just as r have told you; that they-or aliy other revelationsshould never have been published, thus necessarily becoming public property for the eyes of the world. Also notice that they wei'e given to indIViduals, to tliose whom God chose in commencing his work, for their individual instruction, and were 'not given to the church, and the church had no need oJ them. In the Book of Doctrine and Covenants they are sections 2 to 16, inclusive. The headings over sections 4 and 7 ar'e not like they are in the Book of Commandments, in which the headings show that they. were also given to individualil. Section 4 is a revelation given to Joseph Smith' and Martin Harris. Section 7' is a revela-tion given to Oliver Cowdery. .

Now. bear in mind that these revelations were given through the H stone," while.thc Book of Mormon was being transrated. The revelations in J I1I1C, 1829, wcregivcJl about the time the translation of the


book- was finished. As I have stated before, Brother Joseph gave up ihe stone a few months after translating .the Book ,of Mormon. Yon can see from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants that the next revelation ~ter June, 1829, is March, 1830, a period of nine months, and we had been preaching since August, 1829. Now you notice that when the revelations began to come again, at the end of this nine months (this time through Brother Joseph as "mouthpiece"), they came thick and fast, and are of a different character to those given through the stone, which were given to individuals for their individual instruction jn cOD\mencing the work. _

,

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CHANGES AND ADDITIONS TO SOME OF THE REVElttTIONS.

Some of the revelations as they arc now in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants have been chaIlj(ed and added to. Some of the changes being of the greatest importance 88 the meaning is entirely changed on some very important matters; as if the Lord had changed his. mind a few years after he gave the revelations, and after having commanded his servants (as they claim) to ~rint them in the" Book of· Commandments;" and after giving his servapts a revelation, being a preface unto His Book ~f Commandments, which says: "Behold, this is mine au" thority, and the authority of my .servants, and my preface nnto tho " Book of my Commandments, whICh I have given them to publish unto "you, oh inhabitants of the earth." Also in this preface, " Behold, J am "God, and have spoken it; these commandments are of me." "Search "these commandments, for they are true and faithful." The revelations were 1?rinted in the Book of Commandments correctly. This I know, and wlll prove it to you. . '

These revelations were arranged for publication by Brothers Joseeh Smith, Sydney Rigdon, Orson Hyq.e and others, in Hiram, Ohio, whde I was there, were sent to Independence to be published, and were printed just exactly as· they were arranged by Brother Joseph and the others. And wheIf the Book of Commandments was printed, Joseph and the church received it as being printed correctly. . This I know. In the winter of 1834 they saw that some of the revelations in the Book of Commandments lutd to be cltanged, because the h~ads of the church had gone too far, and had done things in which they had already gone ahead of some of the former revelations. So the book of "Doctrine and Covenants" was printed in 1835, and some of the revelations changed· and added to. By the providence of God I have one of tpe old Book of Commandments published in 1833. I will prove by a revelation in

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, it, which is changed ill tho Doctl'iuu and Covenants, I.t revelution that was given through the "stone" and is true - I will prove that

-- God called Brothel' Joseph to translate the Book of Mormon only, and that he was not called to o'rl7anize and establish the church any mora than tho rest of us Elders. 1'hat God commauded him that he &hould pt'etend to 110 other gift but to translate the Book of Mormon, that God would grant him no other gift.. . , . .

I wl}l also show by u. re.ell1tion in the Book of Oommandmentsl,fterwards changed ill the Doctrine and (Jovenallts - that we were commanded to rely 'U:pOIl the" things which are written" in. building up the church; fot· "111 them are all things written conceming my church,

... my gospel, and my rock. Wherefore, if you shall build up my church, .. my gospel, and 111,'1 rock, the gates of hell shall not ,prevail agp.inst you." But we did not rely upon the written word in building up the church;

~ but Joseph went." Olt in tlte persuasions of mcn,"-as he did while " tanslating. and heeded RigdQII who showed him that high priests and

other officos should be added to "elders, priests and teachers;" and so we did not establish His (Ohrist's) church, His gospel and His rock so the gates nf hell did prevail aga.inst the church, and it finally landed in Salt Lake in polygamy. .

I will also show yon by a. revelation in the Book of Oommandments - afterwards changed ill thc Doctrine and Oovenants - that we had no high priests, etc. ill the beginning; as if God had organized his church at first with" elders, priests and teachers," and after we had preached almost two years, and had baptized and confirmed about ~ooo souls into the Ohurch of Ohrillt, thon God concluded he had not organized it right, and decided to put in I11gh priests and other offices above the office of an elder. No brethren - God does Iiot change and work in any such manner. 'fhis is ?nan's work. I ,!ill {'rove beyond.a doubt that 'eve~y spiritual ~ffice added to the church WhICh IS not accordmg to thetoachmgs of Ohnst to tho "twelve" on this land, is the work of man, and not the work of God.· . .

I sec that some of you claim that the same power which gave these revelations, had authority. to change. them, and refer to Jer. xxxvi: 32. By reading this passage you will see that the \fords whieh were added were" like !oords;" words which conveyed the same meaning-were added to that book by Jeremiah when he was writing it over again, because it had been burned in the fire by the king. But the words added to the two former revelations are not "like !oorda," as they change and reverse the original meaning: as if God had commanded Joseph to pre~ tend to no other gift but to translate the Book of Mormon, that he would" grant !tim no otlter gift," and then afterwards God had changed his mind and concluded to grant him another gift. God does not change and work in this manner. The way this revelation has been Cha]ed, twenty-two words bein~ ar'lded to it, it would appear that God ad broken Hi!! word after givlDg His word in plainness; commanding rother Joseph to pretend to no other gift but to translate the Book of Mormon, and then the Lord had changed and concluded to grant Jo-seph the gift of a Seer to the Ohurch. .

This part of this revelation in the Book of Oommauq,ments reads thus: "And he (Joseph) has a gift to translate the Book, and I have

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" commanded him that he shall pretend to no other- gift, for I will grant " hi m no other gift." .

But in the Doctrine and Oovenants it has been changed and reads thus: .

" And JOu have a gift to translate the plates, and this is the first gift that bestowed upon you, and I have commanded you that you should pretend to no other gift, until my pttrpose is fttlfilled in tMs; for I will grant unto you no other gift ttntil it UJ finis/led.'

May God have mercy on the heads'of the church for their trangres-sion is my prayer. •

This revelation is Section 4, Doctrine and Oovenants: Ohap. 4, Book -of Oommandments.

The next important change I will sv.eak of, is made in a revelation which was given to Brothers Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and myself in Fayette, New York, June, 1829. I was present when Brother Joseph

\ received it through the stone. It is Ohapter 15 Book of Commandments, Sec. 16 Doctrine and Oonvenants. In the Book of Commandments It

-read,s thus: " Behold I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the

" things which are written; for in them are all things written, concern"ing my church, my gospel, and my rock. Wherefore if you shall "buIld up my church, and my gospel, and my rock, the gates of hell "shall not prevail against you." .

But in the 1Jook of Doctrine and Convenants it has been changed and reads thus: " Behold I give unto you a C)ommandment, that you rely "upon the things which are written; for in them are all things written, "concerning 'the foundation of' my church, my gospel, and my rock; "wherefore, if you shall build up my church 'upon tlte foundation of' "my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevaIl against you."

The change in this revelation is of great importance; the word "them" refers to the Jllates-the Book of Mormon: We were commanded to rely upon It in building up the church; that is, in establishing the doctrine, tlle order Qf otlices, etc.: "FOR IN THEM ARE ALL THINGS WRITTEN C01W"ERNING MY CHURCH, my gospel, aud my rock." But thiA revelation has been changed by man to mean as follows: That therein is not all things written concerning the church, but only all things concerning" tlle foundation of" the church - or the beginm:ng of the church: that you must build up the church, beginning according to the written word, and add new offices, new ordinances, and new doctrines as I (the Lord) reveal them to you from year to year: As a Seer to the Church; High Priests; Three of the First Presidency; Baptism for the Dead; Polygamy, etc., etc. When the Book of Doctrine and Convemmts was compiled in 1834, the church had then received many revelations to establish new offices and doctrines that are not even mentioned in the New Convenant of either of the two sacred books. They changed this revelation in order to sustain these new doctrines. If they had not made this change, the plain language of the original'revelation would have condemned the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. I want to repeat that I was present when Brother Joseph received this revel&tion through the stone: I am on~ of the persons to whom.it was ~jven, therefore I know of a surety that It was changed when prmted 10 the

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Doctrine and Oonvenants in 1834. Likewise concerning all these cllanges of which I will speak, I know that these changes ",ere made. I was present when nearly all the early revelations were received. There are several of the old Books of Oommandments yet in the land; bring the~ to light and see for yourselves that these revelations were changed just as'I tell you.

These ch~nges were made by the leaders of the church, who had drifted into error and spiritual blindness. Through the influeuoe of Sydney Rigdon, Brother Joseph was le(i on and ou into rect:iving revelations every year, to establish offices and doctrines which are not even mentioned in the teachings of Ohrist in the written word. In a few years they had gone away ahead of the written word, so that the.y had to change these revelations, as you will understand wheu I have fimshed.

The next importaut change I will notice, is in a revelation given to Martin Harris, March, 1830, (Ohap. 16 Book of Oommandments, Sec. 18 Doctrine and Oonvenants). In the Book of Oommandments it reads thus: " And I command you that you preach nought hut repentance; "and show not these things unto the world, for they cannot bear meat, "but milk they must receiye: Wherefore, they must not know these "things lest they perish."

But in the Book 'of Doctrines and Oovenants it has been changed and reads as follows :

"And I command you that you preach nought but r~pentance, and " show not th~ things unto the world, 'until it is wisdom in me,' etc." " The words "fl-ntiUt is 10isdom in me" have beeu added.

As I have stated in the previous chapter, you can readily see why they_ made this change. '

The next change of imj)Ortance is in a revelation given in Fayette, New York, June, 1830. It was not given through the stone. (Chap. 4., Book.of Oommandments, Sec. 17, Doctrine and Oovenants). The change or addition to this revelation is of such a bold character, that the .compilers.of the Book of Doctrine and Oovenants put it in that book without the heading, which is over it in the Book of Oommandments. which heading shows it to be a revelation. They have put"it in the Doctrille and Oovenan ts as "Section 17," bu tit is a revelation. fI'he old church papers speak of it as a rev~lation, and the heading in the Book of Oommandments shows that it is a revelation. I was present when Broth~r Joseph gave this revelation. '

The heading over it in the ~ook of Oommandments is as follows: " The Articles and Covenants of tke Ollurclt of Oltrisl, gt'ven in Fayette, N61II York, June, 1830." Two paragraphs have been a,dded to it, haying been thrust into the middle of it. Paragraphs 16 and 17 is the part added, which part speaks of high priests and other high offices that the church never knew of until almost two years after its beginning: As if God had made a mistake in the first organization of the church, and left ou t these high important offices w hicb are. all above an elder; and as if God had maile a mistake and left these high offices out of that revelation when it was first given. Oh thc weakness and blindness of man I This revelation as it is in the Book of Oommandments, speaks of the duties, of all the spiritual officers in the church; of elders, priests and teachers;

) but does not mention Ii word about the office of high priest, president of I (1)

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the high priesthood, high counselors, etc. 'fhe part added to this revelation was put there to give the duties of these high officers in ordinations. I repeat that the church never heard of 01' thought of having in it any of these offices, until we moved to Kirtland, Ohio, in the days of Sidney Rigdon. The Gharch of Ohrist upon either continent had no euch offices in it, and Christ told us through the stone that he would establish his church "LIKE UNTO 'fHE OHURCH WHICH WAS TAUGHT BY MY DISOIPLES IN THE DAYS OF OLD." ...

... ... "If the people of this generation harden not their hearts." (Ohap. 4., Par. 5, Book of Oommandments). .

Now brethren, the Ohurch of Ohrist of old had in it only elders, priests and teachers; but the Ohurch of La\ter Day Saints, with its many new offices, doctrines, and ordinances which were not in the Ohurch of Ohrist of old, is a very different church-a different order throughout. This is plain to be seen .. Why, oh why will you continue to trust in the man who has erred and introduced doctrines of error iuto the Ohurch of Ohrist? Why will you continue in blindness? But modern Israel is no better than ancient Israel. Man will not walk humbly before God and abide in his ordinances, aithough he has given them his word in great plainness. Yon are in spiritual blindness and you know it not.

I will now quote the two paragraphs which have been added to the revelation above mentioned:

"No person is to be ordained to any office in this church, where .. there is a regularly organized brancA of the same, without the vote of "that church; but the presiding elders; traveling bishops, high counsel.. 01'8, high priests and elders, may 'have the privilege of ordaining, .. where there is no branch of the church, that a vote may be called. " Every president of the high priesthood (or presiding elder), bishop, "high counselor and high priest, is to be ordained by the direction of "a high council, or general conference."

In all the teachings of Ohrist, these high offices are not even mentioned as being in the Ohurch of Ohrist.

'l'hero arc other changes in this J:evelation, but this is the only change of importance. .

The next change I will notice is one of importance. It is in Section 4, Doctrine and Oovenants: Chapter 4. Book of Oommandments. Half of a page has been left out of this revelation. I believethat the object of those who left it out was to strike out the following words:

.. And thus, if the people of this generation harden not their hearts, " I will work a reformation among tliem, and I will put dowu all Jyings, "etc., !II !II ... ... and I will establish mx church, LI1{E UN'I'O "THE OHUROH WHICH WAS 'l'AUGHf BY MY DISCIPLES "IN THE DAYS OF OLD."

They knew that the order of Qffices in the Church of Latter Day Saints, was not like the order in the Ohurch of Christ of old; because the Ohurch of Ohrist of old had in it only elders, priests and teache1'8: so they left out this part of the revelation when they published the Book of Doctrine and Oovenants.

There are many other changes in the revelations, but I wiUnot take .' the space and time to speak of any ;ore of them. "

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: I want to tell the brethren, that when the Book of Doctrine and Oovenants was published, and presesented 'to the church assembly in Kirtla'ild, Ohio, in August, lSal), as. recorded in the old church papers, a very few of the brethren then knew about, most of the important

. chan~s that, had been put in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. In time 1t was generally found out, and the· result 'was that some' of the members left the church on account ~f it. A few members diBSentcd from the church as early as 1832, (jri account of the spiritual blindness of som~ of the leaders. When it became genera1ly known that theSe im· portant changes had been made in the Doctrine and Covenants, many of the brethren objected Seriously to it, but they did not want to say much for the sake of peace, as it was Brother Joseplt and tIle leaders who did it. The majority of the members-poor weak souls-thought that anything Brother Joseplt would do, must be all right; so in their blindness of heart, trusting lD an arm of flesh, they looked over it and were led into error, and finally all talk about it ceased. I was told that Sidney Rigdon was the cause of those changes being made: by smooth talk he convinced Brother Joseph and that committee that it was all right •.

The editors of the old church papers, Evening and Morning Star and Messenger and Advocate, adm1t that some changes were made in some of the revelations; that they added some items to some revela· tions, from other revelations. I will not accuse those who did it of being fully·aware of the grievous error they were making when they added those items - that is, made those changes; I would rather believe that they were spiritually blinded when they did it: and that Satan deceived them, whispenng to them that it was all right and acceptable unto God. ' .

Some of the Latter Day Saints have claimed that God had the same right to authorize Brother Joseph to add to any revelations certain words and facts, that He had to give him any revelations at all: but only those who are trusting in an arm of flesh and are in spiritual blindness, would pretend to make this claim; that God would give his servants some revelations, command them to publish them in His Book Qf Command· ments, and then aathorize them to change and add to them some words which change and reverse the original meaning: as if God had changed his mind after givil)g his word. No brethren I God does not change, and work in any such manner as this; all those who believe that God does work this way, my prayer for them is that they may rapen t, for they are in utter spiritual blindness.

I want to say a few words here in regard to section 17, in the Doctrine and Covenants. This revelation was published in the" Evening and Morning Sfar" in 1832, before the Book of Commandments was pubHshed, and was put in that paper as, "The Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ, with a few items from other revelations." This revelation was received in June, 1830, and these two paragraphs were added in Jnne, 1832, in that paper.' Now I will explain why they did not print this revelation in the Book of Commandments in 1833, with these added parts in it. It is this: The heads of the church had not yet become suffi ... ciently blind'ed to chan~ a rfWeiation that was given in 1830, and print it changed in God's Book of Commandments in 1883. W. W. Phelps is the one who printed. this revelation in that p8I>eF with the H items" (Para.

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graphs 16 and 17), added to it; but when the heads of the c~urch chan¥ed the namo ot the church to " '1'ho Churd) of Latter Day &~ints," (leavmg out the Ilame ot "Christ" entirely) when they did this, and COtllpiled the Doctrine and Covenants in lS35, God had thefl. given tlle. over to blindness of mind, and they could print this revelation in G~'s book, as also other revetatiQ!ls, changed and added to with a cleat' cOtt8CielHJ.6, as they ~id many other griovOH things with a clear co.nscience atter this, thinking they were all right. 1 have no doul'ft that Brother Jose,ph thought his works up to the time ~f his repen~nce just before his deat», were acceptable unto God. Poor "Joseph.· He was blinded and became ensna.red by proud, ambitious me,n. I labored hard with him to gQt bUn to see it-from 1835-and God alone knows the grief.a.nd sorrow Ih,v. had over it. I have been tolO that Joseph repented just before Ite died. He is in the bands of a just God. If David of old could ob14in .'1'tiOD by repentance, so could Brother Joseph Smith.

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CHAP'fER IX.

HIs-;a PItI ESTS.

High Priests were only in the church before Christ; and t;o have this office in the" Church oC Christ" is not according to the teachings of Christ in either of the sacred books: Ch"ist himself is our ~reat and last High Priest. Brethren - I will tell ,you one thing whICh alone should settle this matter in your minds ; it IS this: you C8Jlnot find in the New Testament psrt of the Bibl&m: Book of Mormon where one sin· ~le high priest was ever in theChu.rch of Christ. 'rhe office of an Elder 1S spoken of in ma.ny mallv-})iaces, but not one word about a High Priest beillg in the chnreb. Thls alone should cODvinC'e anyone, and will convince lUly one who is without prejudice, tha.t the office of Hi~h Priests was ~tab1ished in the church almost two years after its begmning by mell who had drifted into error. You must admit that the church which WII.S to be established in this dispensation, must be ., like unto the nhurch "which was taught by Christ's disciples of old." Then the Church of Latter Day Saints is uulike the Church of Christ of old, because you ha.ve the office of High Priests in the church. l'he office of a High Priest as you have it, is of more importance toon the office of an Elder; the!! why j~ not something said ab()U~ this high Qffice being in the ~hurch whICh Ch,-1st carne on earth toestabhshat Jerusalem and upon thIS land? Why is there not something said about ..this important office, and so much said about an Elder?

Brethren, it is strange - very strange - that )'OU will continue to . 6I.l ~


cling to the man, Joseph Smith, and meaSUl'e the written word of God by his revelations. So hus it been ill all ages past. You are in spiritual blindness. Hp,(tr,in,q ye 8ltallliear and ~ltltll not unde1'sland; seeing ye shall see and not perceive. And this too when Christ has given us the Book of Mormon with the plain and precious things therein.

When Christ came into the world upon this land, Nephi was a great High Priest who had done ma.ny mighty works. Now Nephi had to lay down his robe of a High Pritlst just outside the door and come into the Church of Christ by baptism, to the office of an Elder, and not once after that is Nephi called a High Priest. At this time the Church of Christ was established upon this land. Christ comes into the world and preaches to them as he had to those at Jerusalem, giving them instructions concerning his Church and the New Covenant which he made with them, as he had with those on the eastern continent, telling them they

. were no longer nnder the old law of Moses, but from that time were under him. He chooses twelve disciples who were called Elders, to minister unto thut people, and after givmg them full instructions concerning the establishing of his church, he ascends into heaven. Elders, Priests and Teachers were ordained in his church, and full instructions ~iven concerning their duties. Christ told his disciples to write his teachmgs, for ther wer~ to be hid up to come down to us as his teachings to us. Now this bemg the case, why are not BOme instructions given in the new covenant of that book concerning the office of Hi~h Priests? Of course there was DO such an office in the Church of Christ upon this land, nor in the Church of Christ upon the eastern continent, nor should there be such an office in the Churcll to-day. It is a grievous sin to have such an office in the church. As well might you add to the teachings of Christ - circumcision - offering up the sacrifice of animals - or break the ordinances of Christ in any other way by going back to the old law of Moses.

We will now go to the New Testament in the Bible. In no place therein does it mention one single High Priest as bein~ in the Church of Christ. High Priests are spoken of in Hebrews iv to IX, but only to expla.in that J eS11S Christ is our great High Priest after the order of Melchjsedec. It speaks of High Priests that offered up sacrifices under the old law, .showing that Christ himself was after that order, hut not once does it speak of the office of a High Priest continuing after Christ, except only in Christ himself; He being" the Apostle and High Priest of our pro"fession; * * * our gr~at High Priest that has ~assed into the heavens; "* * * a Priest forever after the order of Melchlsedec." " Seeing then that we have a great High Priest (and the only one) * * * let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, etc." This being the fulfillment of the old order of High Priests whICh was a type of Christ's order. Before Christ, the peot'le came to the High Priest for mercy and forgiveness, through him offermg up sacrifices for their sins; but now the people have the great High Priest even Jesus Christ to ~o to " that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need: 'He havin~ offered up his body a sacrifice for the sins of the world. " And " havmg u.n· High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with "a true heart in full assurance of faith," etc. This matter is plainly set forth in Hebrews, iv chapter.

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Brethren, it is solemn mockery before God to have establIshed in the church to-day this important office of which Clll'ist alone is worthy. The office of Elder is spoken of all through the New Testament as being in the church, but not one High Priest; then of course they had 11.0 High Priests in the church upon the eastern continent.

Now' Brethren, seein~ they had no High Priests in the church of Christ of old, and none III the church of Christ in these last days until almost two years ufter its beginning-when the leadel's began to drift into errol'; remem hering the fact of the revelation being changed two years after it was givt·Jl to include High Priests; taking these things into consideration, how is it that anyone can say thut the office of High Priest should be ill the church of Christ to-day? 1 can account for it only on the grounds of your spiritual blindness. 'J'his matter is so plain and self-evident that anyone should see unti understand it. Brethren, your blindness must be utter blindness. May God have mercy on you is my prayer.

III no place in the word of God does it say that an Elder is after the order of Melchisedec, or after the OI'der of the Melchisedec PriesthOQd. An Elder is after the order of Christ. 'l'his matter of "priesthood," since the days of Sydney Higdon, hus been the great hobby and stumbling-block of the Latter Day Saints. Priesthood means authority; and authority is the word we should nse. I do not think the word priesthood is mentioned in the New Covenant of the Book of Mormon. Authority it! the word we llsed for the first two years in the church --until Sydney Rigdon's days ill Ohio. This matter of the two orders of priesthood in the Church of Christ, and lineal priesthood of the old law being in the church, nll originated ill the mind of Sydney Rigdon. He explained these things to Brother Joseph in his way, out of the old Seripturei, and got Brother Joseph to inquire, etc. He would inquire, and as mouthpiece speak out the revelations just as they had it fixed up in their hearts. As I have snid before, according to the desires of the heart, the insp'iration comes, but it nmy be the spirit of man that gives it. How eully a Dlan can receive some other spirit, appearing ns an Angel of . Light, believing at the time that he is giving- the revealed will of God; a doubt never entering his mind but what he is doing God's will. Of course I believe that Brother Joseph gave every revelation -including the one on polygamy - in all good conscience before God. This is the way the High Priests and the" priesthood" as you have it, was introduced into the Chmch of Christ almost two years after its beginningand after we had baptized and confirmed about two thousand souls into the church.

When the Church of Christ was established at Jernsalem, and upon this continent, and in 1829, the officers which were to be in the church were made known at its beginning, and not two years afterwards.

In Kirtland, Ohio, in June, 1831, at a conference of the church, the first Higl) Priests were ordained into the church. Brother Joseph ordained Lyman Wight, John Murdock, Harvey Whitlock, Hyrum Smith, Reynolds Cahoon and others to the office of a High Priest. When they were ordained, right there at the time, the devil caught and bound Harvey Whit10ck so he could not speak, his face being twisted into demon-like shape. Also John Murdock and others were eaught by the

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devil ill a sim ilar manner. Now brethren, do you not see that the dis~asure of the Lord was upon their proceedings in ordaining High l»riests? Of course it was. These facts are recordeu in the History of the Church-written by my brother, John Whitmer, who was the regularly appointed church historian. I was not at that conference, being then in Hiram, which is near Kirtlanu, Ohio. I also have the testimony of Harvey Whitlock whom the devil et\ught and bound: also John Whitmer, who was present, and others who were present at the time, so I know it is true. John Whitmer wrote this in the church history when he was in full fellowship with the church. As a faithfnl historian he speaks of this matter, and tries to explain it away by saying, "While <, the Lord poured out his s}lirit, tlle devil took occasion ~o make his "power known; he bound Harvey Whitlock so that he could not speak, "and others were affected, but the Lord showed to Joseph the seer, the " design of this thing: He commanded the devil in the nam{' of Christ "and he departed to our joy and comfort." It was not given to Brother John nor any of them at that time to understand this matt{'r of the devil entering into the first High Priests th8t were ordained in the church. They were all blind as to the design of that thing, and did not ilee what it meant. Of course it was given to Brother Joseph to cast the devil out, but what was the design of the devil entering into these men just as soon as/they were ordained the first High Priests ever ordained in the church ~ Of course it was to show that God's sore displeasure was upon their erring works of ordaining High Priests into the Church of ChrlBt. Any spiritual man can see this. Brother John was himself ordained a High Priest at thnt time, so he was in error and could not see it; but he saw it very clearly in 1848, when the Lord opened our eyes to see and understand it. Prejudiced persons are blind and do not want to see and understand except tlleit· Oft)1/. preconceived way. There is none so blind as those who will not see. In Brother John's history he speaks of the Spirit of God being poured out in abundance upon that occ8.ilion, some seeing visions, etc., but brethren, you will learn in the next world, if you do not know it already, that the devil can give visions, appearing as an Angel of Light. Brother John gives an account of a prophecy uttered by Lyman Wight just after Brother JOlieph ordained him a High Priest, which prophecy will prove to be a false prophecy. Brother John's history of the cliurch says 88 follows: "He (Joseph) laid his hands upon Lyman Wight and or"dained him to the high priesthood after the holy order of God. And "the spirit fell upon Lyman, and he prophesied concerning the coming

. "of Christ. He said that there were some in this congregation that "should live until the Savior should descend from Heaven with a shout, "with all the holy an~els with him, etc." The early future will determine as to whether thIS prophecy was true or false.

Some of the brethren have gone outside of the written word of God, and accepted as evidence, histories that were written 350 to 400 years after Christ, to prove tllat High Priests were in the Church Qf Ohrist. This seems strange to me. They have quoted from the history of St. Jerome, who was Secretary to the Pope at Rome, about 382 years after Christ. I should not wonder if ihe apostolic church did haTe High Priests and many other offices and ordinanceB that were abominable before God, after they drifted into error like the Latter Day Saints have. They

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have also quoted from '!'heodoret who died 457 years after Ohrist. Hig writings extenu from A. D. 325 to A. D. 429. My authority for· the above is Lippincott's Biographical DietionaJ:Y. Now shall we take such evidence as this to prove the office of High Priests being in the church when it was in its purity, .when the written woru of God mentions all the church officers in many places and says nothing about a single High Priest? Nay verily. As for me, I mnst take the Scriptures for my aUthority. I cannot understand how any person can claim that an important office like High Priests should be, or was' in the Church of Ohrist when it was in the true faith, when nothing is said in the Scriptures about it. The Scriptures were given by inspiration of God: and do you su:ppose that God would leave out of his word the great office of 8 High PrIest, if they were to be in the Church of Christ? Of course not. It is charging God foolishly to believe thut he would leave out of his word this office or any othet office that he intended should be in his church.

Some of the brethren have referred to 1 Peter ii : 5-9 and Rev. i : 6 to prove that there were High Priests in the Church of Christ, but the word High Priest is not mentioned ill either passage. 'l'hese two passages are all they have referred to in the whole of the New Testament, and no passage cun be found in the New 'l'estament part of the Book of Mormon to refer to, bQCltllse High Priestii! are not even mentioned therein. In the above two passages there is no reference whatever to this office. In 1 Peter ii : 5, H, Peter is addressing the whole church, and says, "Ye "also, as lively stones are bllilt up a spiritual house, an holy prlesthood, "to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; " * * * * Y e are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy "nation, II peculiar people, etc" How any person can pretend to claim that this passage refers to the office of High Priest, is more than I can understand. If it dO(,E, then every member of the church holds this office, becal1se Peter is addressing the whole church as you can see from the firilt of his epistle. Of course there is no reference made here to this office.

Rev. i : 6 reads as follows: "Unto him that loved us, and washed "us from our sins ill his own blood, and hath made us kings andprieats "unto God and his father; to him be glory and dominion forever and " ever. Amen. " This has no reference to the office of a High Priest. It refers to the time when we will be in'the Spirit, and can say 8S John then said, he being in the Spirit, unto Jesus Christ who hath redeemed us and hath made us kings and priests unto God, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Some of the brethren have misunderstood the Old Testament part of the Book of Mormon concerning High Priests, and refer to Alma 9-6: Alma says, "This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, "which order was from the foundation of the world: or in other words, "being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from "eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things." Here it is speaking of the order of the High Priests before Christ: their order being after the order of the Son of God, and this order being with- I out beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity. This being Christ's order, He bemg froin eternity to I all eternity, has held this holy order of priesthood from eternity and ~

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will hold it to all eternity. Those High Priests before Christ came into the world, held this holy order of priesthood as a type of Chri~t's order;

. but when Christ came into tho world, he then claimed his own holy order of priesthood and power 011 earth, doing away with all types and shadows under the old law, himself alone being our great and last High Priest unto whom we can go to obtain mercy and find graee to help in time of need. Brethren, I am con~trainC\l to say as Alma says at his conclusion of this ma.tter: He enus his writing ill the tenth chapter, 2d paragraph, by these words: "Now 1 need not rehearse the matter; what I H have said, may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye H will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction."

OHAPTER X ••

THE CHOICE SEER.

. As ancient Israel was in errol' in misinterpreting prophecy, so the Latter Da~ Saints are in error ill mi~interpreting modern prophecy. As I have S81d, a distinetion must be made between the gospel or dootrine of Christ, and prophecy. It is plain to be seen from the scrip- . tures that it is not the Lord's purpose to reveal prophecy in as great plainness as the gospel and doctrine of Christ. SC1'ipturelroJ?hecy refers to events that are to transpire in the Lord's work; an it 1S not his purpose to reveal in plainness at this time, all the mysteries anu plans of his great work among the children of men in tho future. Such has been the case in all ages past. Tho prophecies to tho Jews regarding the way in which Christ waoS to come, were obscure, awl they wero ouly understood by those who had the spirit to undel'stand them. . They could have been written s08lain that any person could ullLlerstulld them correctly;' but it was not od's purpose to do so. The Book of Mormon tells us that the book of prophecy of John's Uevelation is hard to understand, tlut . when God's own due time comes, it is to be unfolded and made plain; but the gospel and doctrine of Christ is so plain in the New Covenant of the Book of Mormon, that a child can undliirstand it. Christ says, ,; And I give you these commandments, because of the dieputations "which have been among you. And blessed are ye if ye have no dispu"tations among you." Also, that yon might "know of the true points of my (Clirist's) doctrine." (Nephi viii: I) and ix: 11). But prophecy is another matter ouLsi(lo of Lhe gospel or doctrine of Christ; It can only be interpreted corrcctly by the enlightenment of the Holy Ghost. Peter says, "We have also !L more sure word of • prophecy'; .u whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, us unto It light that shineth

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"in a dark place. until the day dawn, and the 'day star' arise in your hearts." (2 Peter i:I9). The day star means the Holy Ghost, by which prophecy can only be rightly understood.

The Latter Day Saints are in error in believing that Joseph Smith was the Choine Seer spoken of in 2 Nephi ii.

I will show you that Brother Joseph could not have been this Choice SeQr, beca.se that Seer is to be of the seed of Joseph, (of Egypt) of the ieed of Lehi, who is a descendant of Joseph, which Lehi came over to this land from Jerusalem 600 years B. C: The American Indians (the Lamanites) being the remnant of that seed. To make it more plain, I will repeat t-he eXplanation given in Chapter iii. The man who is not learned (in 2 Nephi xi:18) referil to Brother Joseph; But the Choice Seer (2 Nephi ii) is another man. He is to come from the fruit of the loins of Joseph (of Egypt), that seed being the branch which was broken off at Jerusalem, to whom this land was consecrated for thcir inheritancli forever - being Lehi and his seed; Lehi's seed being Little Joseph, who received this blessing from his father Lehi, that his seed should not utterly be destroyed; for out of his seed which should not uU be destroyed (the Indians), should com~ this Choice Seer. It is very plain to me. l'his Seer is to come from the Lamanites, and Brother Joseph is not of that seed. l'he name of that Seer will be Joseph, after Joseph of Egypt, and his fathers nume Joseph. He is to translate sealed records ,Yet to come fOI·th. "And ndt to the bringing forth my word only, salth the "Lord, bnt to the convincing them of my word." Brother Joseph never convinned a Mingle Lamanite that I ever heard of.

This Choice Seer is to convince the Lamanites in plirson, and do a great work among them ("his brethren") in person. It can plainly be seen by readil1~ the two passages referred to, that" the man that is not learned" is a different man f·rom this Choice Seer. 'l'here is no identity between the two persons referred to in these two passages. In one passage it calls the person referred to "the man that is not learned;" while in the other, the persoll referr~ to is a Ohoice Seer, who shall be great and mighty like unto Moses; and the whole chapter is devoted to this Seer and to Moses. ::;ome have confounded the men spoken of in 2 Nephi xi: 17,18, In. A man, being the spirit of II. just man made perfect, had a hand in bringing forth the words of the Book of Mormon as well as Brother Joseph; and there is also a time referred to in the nineteenth paragraph that is yet in the future. We will now amtlyze this chapter (2 Nephi ii) concerning the Choice Seer: It is plain to be seen that the whole chapter refers to this one Choice Seer and to Moses. I see some of the Latter Day ::;aints have lately interpreted "one 'll1ght;1f .• , to arise from the Lamanites; this is a recent interpretation thry hare put upon this chapter. A clause in the lust l)art of the chapt.er makes it very plain that the Choice Seer spoken of all through the chapter, is to come from the Lamanites. It is vel·y plain that the last part of the chapter (Par. 4) refers to this same Choice Seer. Lehi is making his conclusion Il.nd closing remarks collcerning his son's (little Joseph's) blessing; which blessing can be seen in the first part of the chapter, the blessing being this; that little Joseph's seed should not all be destroyed, for out of his seed should arise one mighty, who should be a Choice Seer. "And "now, hehold, Illy son Joseph, aftllr thiil manner tlid my father of old

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"(Joseph of Egypt) prophesy. Wherefore, because of this covenant H thou are blessecl (a blessing); for thy seed shall not be destroyed u * ... '" And there shall raise up one migltty among them (this same H Choice Seer - this same blessing), who shall do much good, both in " word and in deed~ being an instrument in the hands of God, with exH ceeding faith, ·to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is H great in tlte sigltt of God." Before this it says he shall be great in mine eyes. Why is it that anyone cannot see this? The closing of this chapter is only a rehearsal and conclusion about this same Choice Seer.

This whole chapter treats of the one matter; a blessing is pronounced upon little Joseph, because a Great Seer is to be of his seed, that should not all be destroyed. That seed being "a branch which was to be .. , broken off" at Jerusalem, to whom this land was consecrated for their inheritance. He tells them that this Great Seer was not the Messiah, but that he was to come from a branch of the house of Israel that was to be broken off, "nevertheless to be remembered in the covenants of the H Lord, that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the " latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them ont of H darkness unto light; yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity "unto freedom." Can you not see from this that the Choice Seer is to come from the Lamaniteii? 'I'hey are the people here referred to. The next words are as follows: ".For Joseph (of Egypt) truly testified, liJay"ing, a Seer sh~ll the Lor~ my God ~ai~e up, who.shall be a Choice Seer H unto the .fruit of my 10lUS." TIllS IS the testimony or prophOOJ of Joseph (of Egypt) which Lehi refers to in his closing remarks in paragraph four, where he says: "And now, behold, my son Joseph, after this "manner did my father of old prophesy. Wherefore because of this "covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they a shall hearken unto the words of the book; and there shall raise up one "mighty among them." They shall hearken unto the woros of the book which the Choice Seer shall bring forth, whieh Seer is to convince them. This passage means the same as if the word for instead of the word and was there, as follows: "Wherefore, because of this covenant "thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall

U hearken unto the words of the book; . for' there shall raise up one .. , mighiy aDlong them, who shall do much good, * * * and do that .. , thing which is great in the sight of God."

Again, it says this Choice Seer will do only according to the commands of God. He will be faithful and break none of God's commandments. This alone proves that Brother Joser.h was not the Choice Seer, In a revelation given to Brother Joseph while he was translating, (Sec. 2) the Lord said, "Behold, how oft hare you transgressed the com"mandments and the laws of God, and hare gone 011 in the persuasions "of men * * * if thou art 110t aware thou wilt fall." Does this agree with the description of the CllOice Seer? Nay verily. This alone should satisfy anyone, Itnd will satisfy any OlJe who is not trusting in an arm of flesh; that Brother Joseph was not the Choice Seer.

Again, it can be seen frolll this point that Brother Joseph was not this Great Seer. He is to eo me from the seed tilat shall 'IIn'itc the word of the Lord; and this is the Nephite seed. It says, "But a Seer will I


.. raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; ... ... ... wherefore, the fruit "of thy loins (from which this Seer is to be raised up) shall write; (the "Nephite records), and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write." So we see again that the Choice Seer is to come from the N ephite or Lamanita seed.

Again, the same can be seen from a clause which follows in this connection: "and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the "latter days."

Again. the Same can be seen from this clause which says, "He shall "do a work for the fruit of thy loins, HIS BRE'I'HREN, which shall be "of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the kIlowl"edge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers." }'rom this we see that his brethren are to be the Lamanites. Then he is to be of the Lamanite seed.

Again, it says, they who seek to destroy this Choice Seer shall be confounded. '1'h088 who sought to destroy Brother Joseph were not confounded, but they destroyed him.

Brethren, you have no conception of how great and mighty this Seer will be, and the great work he is to do in restoring the house of Isreal, or you would never claim that Brother Joseph was this man. I believe this man to be the same man referred to in Genesis xlix: 24, and by Paul in Romans xi: 26. The passage in Genesis is Joserh's blessing: "From "thence is the Shepherd, the stone of Israel.' From the sced of Joseph will come a man who shall be the Shexherd to gather scattered Israel in the last days. This does not mean uhrist, for he.came from the seed of Judah. The other passage in Romans says, "There shall "come out of Sion (this land) the Deliverer, and. shall turn away un"godliness from Jacob." This does not mean Ohrist, as you can ~ by reading the context. I am satisfied these two passages refer to this same Choice Seer.

To conclude, we see that Brother Joseph was not this Choice Seer for the following reasons:

First: He is to come from the Beed of Lehi, and Joseph Smith is not· of that seed.

Second: He is to convince the Lamanites in person; Joseph Smith did not convince them.

Third : His tongue will not be loosed that he can speak much, and the Lord is to raise up a spokesman for him; Joseph Smith's tongue was loosed to speak, he being a good speaker.

Fourth: 'l'hose who seek to destroy this Seer will be confounded', this does not agree as being Brother Joseph, because he was destroyed. . Fifth: The Ohoice Seer will be faithful and do strictly accordmg to

the command of God; Brother Joseph broke the commands of God from the beginning.

So we see that Brother Joseph was not this Ohoice Seer.

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r' .

CHA.PTER XI •

• THE GATHERING.

One of the greatest mistakes that the leaders of the old church made, and a mistake whic.h the Latter Day Saints are making to-day, is concerning this matter.

The time for building the' city New Jerusalem has not yet come. The leaders of the old church, in their nnwise zeal, prompted more by the spirit of man than the Spirit of God to do gr~at things in the Lord's vineyard, began to think that they were the few chosen servants who should labor in the last pruning of the vineyard, and do the great closing

. work of tho last dispensation of the fullness of times- building the city lIIew Jerusalem, etc. If they had been more humble and lowly in heart, they would not have made this great mistake. They did not stop to consider that God had his own time in which his great and marvelous works should be done among the inhabitants of the earth. They thought that the time for building the city New Jerusalem must be now at handin tlteir time-man's time-and that they were the ones who were to build it. In this condition of heart, brought about by their unwise zeal and the spirit of man to do great thin~s, instead of being humble, they had Brother Joseph to get a revelation as to the time of building that city, and gathering into it. So Brother Joseph gave a revelation, as mouthpiece, that the time was then at hand, and they began to gather into Jackson County, Missouri, at once. They were too hasty. The time to build that city had not yet come, because Christ says that the" remnant of Jacob" (the seed of Lehi, unto whom this land was consecreted) arc the people who shall build that city, and the Gentiles are only to assist them to build it. The other people who shall also assist them to build that city are "as mang of the house of Israel as shall come" into the covenant. Therefore if the seed of Lehi are to build that city, the leaders of the old church and the Latter Day Saints to-day are in error in this matter. I will show you from the Book of Mormon tha.t the seed of Lehi, on whom the choicest bleBBing of any of the house of Israel rests, are the ,eople who shall be honored with building that city; and that the rest 0 the house of Israel who are faithful, and also the Gentiles, shall only assist them in that work (Nephi x: 1). Christ himself says: "And they (the Gentiles) shall assist my people, the rem"nant of Jacob; and also, as many of the house of Israel as shall come, H that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem; "and then shall they assist my people that they (all) may be gathered "in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New "Jerusalem." From this we see the remnant of Jacob are the ones who shall build that city, and the Gentiles and the rest oBhe house of Israel shall only aBBist them. Now, the question is, what people does the "remnant of Jacob" here refer to? We find that Christ makes it plain in this same scrmon he is preaching to them, that the remnant of Jacob means the remnant of the seed of Lehi. In the preceding chapter, paragraph eleven, Christ says as follows: "When these things * * • *


"shall be made known unto the Gentiles, that thcy may klluw concern"ing this people, who are a 'remnant ot the house of Jacob,' and con"cerning this my people who shall be scattered by them." So we see that the remnant of Jacob means the Lamanites, or seed of Lehi. Then it is plain that the time to build that city has not yet come, because the remnant of Jacob is to do that work.

There is an expression that Ohrist uses in this chapter which is often used by the prophets; that expression is "At ·lhflt day." All who U1lderstantl the scriptures know that this expression means in tll(lt dispmsation of time. A dispensation may be a thousand years, more or less; and the prol'hets all speak of a dispensation by sayill~ "at tltat day." A day with the Lord is as a'thousand years. Isamh, when prophesying of events to take place in the same dispensation, but more than a thousand years apart, speaks of them in the same chapter by saying "at that dall"; when a person who does not understand the scriptures might thmk from his language that the events were to transI,ire within a few years of each other. Some of the brethren have tried 1.0 prove that Brother Joseph was the Ohoice Seer because the text says of this man that he shall" be made str01lg in that. day whcn my work "shall commence among all my people," etc. 11. tltat daN 01' at tlmt day means in that dispensation or cycle of time; and it would be folly for us to attempt to locate the time of an event because it says in that day. The above text means as follows: In the dispensation of time in wliich the work of the Father shall commence to restore Israel, in that dispensation-in that day-the Ohoice Seer is to be madc strong.

So also in this chapter concerning the building of the city New Jerusalem, in speaking of thc time when the house of Israel shall be gathered in unto that city from all over the earth, a time when the power of heaven shall come down among them, a time when Jesus Christ will be in their midst, it says at t!tat day shall the work of the Father commence, etc. Of course we understand the worus at tltat day to mean in that dispensation of time, which may extend over a thousand years.

We suppose of course that the sealed records which are to come f?rth.will give full instructions conce!ning the ga.theri~g ill unto the CIty New Jerusalem, and the restoratIOn of Israel that IS now scattered among every nation under heaven. 'fhese great events are simply mentioned in the Book of Mormon and the Bible. I believc that no man living in the flesh has eyer had any conception of the great and marvelous work of the Lord which is yet to transpire in gathering the house of Israel. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is only a preparatory work. It is only an abriugement of the sealed records of the Nephites. Records are yet to come forth which" reveal all things from the founda"tion of the world unto the end thereof"; all things which have been done, and all things which are yet to be done-the great and wondrous mysteries and the works of God which are yet to transpire.


CHAPTER XII.

CHANGING THE NAME OF THE CHURCH.

When Christ established His church upon this land, in the days of the Nephites, He gave them special instructions from his own lips concerning the name by which His church must be called. He gave them a strict commandment to call the church by His name, which He said w.as Glwisi. The Ner,hite brethren obeyed that commandment and called the chnrch " 1'1IE CHURCH OF CHRIST," as seen in many places in the New Oovenant of the Book of Mormon. And after this time, in DO place in the book is it called by any other name. Christ himself considered this matter of the name of His church of great importance, as can be seen from His instructions regarding it. The Nephite brethren were having disputations among themselves as to the name of the church, just 88 there are disputations at this day concerning this matter. When Christ appeared to them on the third day of His mission upon this land, the first thing they said to him was this (Nephi xil:3): "Lord, we will that Thou "wouldst tell us the name whereby we shall call this church; for "there are disputati9ns among the people concerning this matter. "And the Lord said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, why is "it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing? "Have they not ,·ead the scriptures, which say, ye must take upon you "the NAME OF CHRIST, which is my name? for by this name shall ye be "called at the last day; * . * * * therefore, ye shall call the clturch "in my name; * * * * .. and how be it my church, save it be called "in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name, then it be "Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man, then it be the "church of a man; but if it be called in my name, then it is my church, "if it so be that thev are built upon my gospel." So we see that Christ himself considered this matter of great importance. If he had wanted them to call it by the name Jesus Ghrist he would have said so, but he said the name Ghrist. Remember brethren, how the words of the Book of Mormon oome; not by the wisdom of any man, but by the wisdom and power of God; therefore, every word is in its pla,ce. In June, 1829, the Lord gave us the name by which we must call the church, being the same as He gave the Nephites. We obeyed His commandment, and called it THE CHURCH OF CHltIST until 1834, when, through the influence of Sydney Rigdon, the name of the church was changed to .. 'I'he Church of the Latter Day Saints," dropping out the name of Christ entirely, that name which we were strictly commanded to call the church by, and which Christ by His own lips makes so plain. Now it is strange, it is marvelous, that the Latter Dav Saints to-day consider this matter of changing the llame of the church, and the leaders in 1834 dropping out the name of Christ, as a small thing and a light matter! You know not how striet nre the commands of God! It is nothing short of trifling with It strict commandment of Almightr GI>d; and setting at naught the dC'cision of Cllrist himself when lIe rlemrled this matter so plainly and so

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positively, when there were disputations regariling it. I say, that any man who sanctions the name of the church being changed from the name which Christ gave it, setting aside the decision of Christ in this matter, is in utter spiritual blindness, and should repent speedily. Suppose that the Nephite brethren, five years after Christ had ascended into heaven, had said among themselves: " Brethren, although Christ commanded "us to call the church THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, let us change the name "which He gave the church, and drop out thc name of Christ, which "He comnulnded the church to be called by, and call this church the "Church of Former Day Saiuts." Can you not see they would have been under condemnation for it? Answer this question yourselves. This is what the leaders did in 1834, when they changed the name to the "Church of the Latter Day Saints," dropping out the name of Christ. Still you claim they were not in spiritual bhndness. Veri1y, you know not God's way of dealing with man. His commandments are strict. Remember Uzzah, who broke a command of God by reaching out his hand to steady the ark, thinking that he was doing God's will; but was stricken dead for it.

I will give you what is on the title page of the Book of Commandments, and also the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, concerning the name, to show you that the name of the church was changed, and the llame of Christ drol?ped out entirely. OIl the title page of the Hook of <..:ommandants is thiS: "A BOOK OF COliliANDliENTS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST." On the title page of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, published at Kirtland, Ohio, 1835, is this: "DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS of THE CHURCH OF THE LATTER DAY SAIN1'S." Also, the heading of the preface reads thus: .. To THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF THE LATTER DAY SAINTS." Alsoon page 5: "'rHEOLOGY. LECTL'RE FIRST. ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH OF THE LATTER DAY SAINTS." You see they changed the llame of the church, and left out the name of Christ entirely, which the church was strictly commanded to wear, or else they were not the Church of Christ.

Some of you ha,ve referted to Nephi, son of Nephi, i :8, where it says those who believed in Christ were called Nephites, J acobites, Josephites and Zoramites; but if .rou will read that passage you wilJ see that it was the wicked Lamamtes who called the believers by these names. This was 231 l,ears after Christ, when divisions had taken place in the church. rhe church at Jerusalem after Christ, and the church upon this land before Christ (~ame, was often a.lluded to by men spea,king of it, by various llames, as the Church of the Lamb of God; the Church of God, etc: as some writers to-day would allude to it by various names; speaking of it as the Church of the Saints of God, ctc .• but that is not the question. The question is, what uame was the church to wear-what name did Christ want His church to take upon themselves? What name did Christ command them to take? It is important for every public institution to have a name. It. is iml?ortant for any chllrcli organization to have a name. Christ considered it of great importance for His church to have n lIume, and he gave it a name, telling them that it was necessary for His ehurch to wear It certain lIame, and that if they wore any other name, t,hat they were nQt His church. Are you so blinded

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that you cannot see and understand tbis? What right has any man or men to change the name which Christ decided the church should wear? God have mercy upon the man who says that the name should be changed to any other than that which Christ gave us. As for myself, I will take the decision of the King of Heaven in this matter; all those who are willing to trifle with the wurd of God, and set aside the decision of Christ, may do so. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

Brethren, I have ihis to say in conclusion. I will not argue and dispute with you. In the spirit of love and meekness I have told you in plain and simple words what the Spirit of God has moved upon me to speak. I am now past eighty-two years of a$e, and my work in this world is about done. God has ~ven to this generation the Book of Mormon, and how plain and simple IS the doctrine of Christ set forth therein. Now brethren, remember -remember the words of Him who reigns in heaven and on earth; which will ye hear, the words of Onr Lord Jesus Christ in that which is written, or the words of man? Choose for yourselves whom you will hear. I am not asking you to hear me; I refer yon to the words of eternal truth, as they are contained in the two sacred books. I will always pray for you, that you may some day see that you are in error in believing and teaching the doctrines which men have added to the doctrine of Christ. My days to stay here are not many more; I soon go to rest with those who have gone before me; but I have rid my garments of yonr blood and the blood of all men. You may not u nderstalld by what spirit I speak, until at the judgment bar of God; then YOll will understand. May God have mercy upon you to humble your hearts before him, that you may be guided into the light of truth, is my prayer through the llame of Christ. Amen.

RICH){OND, Mo., April 1st, 1887.

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75

DAVID WHITMER.

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An Address to all Believers in Christlatterdaytruth.org/pdf/100023.pdfDavid in thQ Bible, than is...

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